Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $62.08.

Several research analysts have commented on WBS shares. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $76.00 target price on the stock. Stephens set a $58.00 price target on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. StockNews.com upgraded Webster Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 11th. Finally, Wedbush boosted their target price on Webster Financial from $52.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th.

Webster Financial Stock Down 1.8 %

WBS opened at $58.78 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $57.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $52.72. Webster Financial has a 52 week low of $39.33 and a 52 week high of $63.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market cap of $10.08 billion, a PE ratio of 13.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.29.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $661.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $687.53 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 18.39%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Webster Financial will post 5.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.72%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is 36.61%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Lauren States sold 1,650 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.60, for a total transaction of $99,990.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 15,023 shares in the company, valued at $910,393.80. The trade was a 9.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.33, for a total transaction of $474,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 218,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,988,760.92. The trade was a 3.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,150 shares of company stock worth $903,085. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WBS. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $120,497,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Webster Financial by 759.8% in the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 823,280 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $45,462,000 after purchasing an additional 727,530 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in Webster Financial by 182.7% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 959,180 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,496,000 after buying an additional 619,934 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $27,163,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter worth about $22,146,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

About Webster Financial

Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking.