Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday morning.

WBS has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. They issued a buy rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Webster Financial from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Webster Financial from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Webster Financial from $51.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Webster Financial currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $56.23.

Webster Financial Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSE WBS opened at $44.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market cap of $7.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.20, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a 50 day moving average of $47.79 and a 200-day moving average of $46.65. Webster Financial has a 1-year low of $31.03 and a 1-year high of $53.39.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $667.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $680.72 million. Webster Financial had a net margin of 21.09% and a return on equity of 12.55%. Webster Financial’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Webster Financial will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 6th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 3rd. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.79%.

Insider Activity at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, insider Daniel Bley sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.60, for a total transaction of $95,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 27,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,330,658. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Spire Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 79.1% in the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 607 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Webster Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in Webster Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $45,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.