Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

A number of other research firms have also commented on WBS. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $59.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $64.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $65.00 to $56.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $61.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $57.85.

Webster Financial Price Performance

WBS opened at $45.40 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.28, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $48.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.25. Webster Financial has a twelve month low of $31.03 and a twelve month high of $53.39.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $996.96 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $674.82 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 13.05% and a net margin of 22.01%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.60 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Webster Financial will post 5.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 3,966 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.56, for a total transaction of $204,486.96. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 49,528 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,553,663.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Webster Financial news, insider Christopher J. Motl sold 10,475 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.40, for a total transaction of $548,890.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 63,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,317,234.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 3,966 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.56, for a total transaction of $204,486.96. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 49,528 shares in the company, valued at $2,553,663.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 29,941 shares of company stock worth $1,545,582 over the last three months. 0.72% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 1.7% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,278,976 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $51,556,000 after buying an additional 21,026 shares during the period. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV increased its position in Webster Financial by 98.1% during the 4th quarter. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 149,258 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,576,000 after purchasing an additional 73,924 shares during the period. FDx Advisors Inc. increased its position in Webster Financial by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. FDx Advisors Inc. now owns 5,753 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $232,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Webster Financial by 58.2% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 319,379 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $12,874,000 after purchasing an additional 117,437 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Webster Financial by 15.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 83,725 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,375,000 after purchasing an additional 11,387 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.