Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued on Friday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on WBS. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Webster Financial from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Stephens set a $58.00 price target on Webster Financial in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Webster Financial from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Webster Financial from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Webster Financial from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $57.85.

Webster Financial Stock Down 2.5 %

Shares of WBS opened at $52.91 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $46.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.84, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. Webster Financial has a one year low of $36.36 and a one year high of $54.38.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $647.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $677.72 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.81% and a net margin of 19.81%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.55 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Webster Financial will post 5.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Webster Financial news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.07, for a total transaction of $245,350.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 45,157 shares in the company, valued at $2,215,853.99. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, insider Jason A. Soto sold 1,650 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.32, for a total value of $76,428.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 20,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $951,366.48. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.07, for a total value of $245,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 45,157 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,215,853.99. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WBS. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Webster Financial by 340.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 595 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Webster Financial during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Webster Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. grew its stake in Webster Financial by 7,650.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,240 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 1,224 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Webster Financial Company Profile

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.