Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $63.36.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Webster Financial from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $70.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group started coverage on Webster Financial in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $76.00 price target for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Webster Financial from $75.00 to $66.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 13th.

Webster Financial Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of WBS opened at $51.04 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $55.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $54.51. 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 company has a market capitalization of $8.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.68, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.28. Webster Financial has a 52 week low of $39.34 and a 52 week high of $63.99.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. Webster Financial had a net margin of 18.39% and a return on equity of 10.82%. The business had revenue of $661.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $687.53 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Webster Financial will post 5.88 EPS for the current year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.13%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.61%.

Insider Transactions at Webster Financial

In related news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.43, for a total transaction of $459,440.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 210,051 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,063,228.93. This trade represents a 3.67 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Laurence C. Morse sold 13,217 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.07, for a total value of $780,728.19. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 18,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,110,988.56. The trade was a 41.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Webster Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Webster Financial during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Webster Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $61,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 88.1% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,119 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 524 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.