Retirement Systems of Alabama Purchases 40,917 Shares of Webster Financial Corporation $WBS

Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its position in Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) by 8.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 498,599 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 40,917 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama’s holdings in Webster Financial were worth $29,637,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 37.0% in the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 208,492 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $12,428,000 after acquiring an additional 56,341 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at $578,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its position in Webster Financial by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 42,012 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,497,000 after purchasing an additional 5,671 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Webster Financial in the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 2.4% during the third quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 12,410 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $738,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Webster Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting Webster Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat — Adjusted EPS of $1.59 topped consensus and net income rose year-over-year; revenue of ~$760.5M also exceeded estimates, driven by loan growth. These beats are the primary fundamental drivers supporting the shares. Business Wire: Webster Reports Fourth Quarter 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Loan-led revenue growth highlighted by multiple outlets — analysts point to core loan expansion as a key revenue driver this quarter, supporting margin stability. Zacks: Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullish case: Seeking Alpha keeps WBS as a Buy with a $70 target, citing low‑cost, sticky deposit mix (notably the HSA franchise), resilient credit quality, and strong capital — factors that can sustain earnings and limit rate‑sensitivity vs. peers. Seeking Alpha: Low-Cost Deposit Growth Can Drive Further Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and slides are available for deeper read — management commentary and slides will be useful to assess sustainability of loan growth, deposit trends, and one-time items included in results. Seeking Alpha: Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate revisions were active ahead of the print — some shops updated forecasts pre-earnings, which can amplify intraday moves even when results beat. Benzinga: Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead Of Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: CRE exposure is a noted risk — Seeking Alpha flags roughly $1.3B in rent‑regulated loans and other CRE concentrations; while reserves and capital are positioned well, this portfolio remains a potential headwind if localized stress emerges. Seeking Alpha: CRE Exposure Note
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: despite the beat, the stock is trading lower on the session with above-average volume — suggests profit-taking, where investors are parsing one-time items (gains on debt redemption, charitable items) and portfolio risks rather than the headline beat. MarketBeat: WBS Stock Page

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Webster Financial news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.45, for a total transaction of $443,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,872 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,857,302.40. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WBS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen cut their price target on Webster Financial from $78.00 to $77.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $64.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Webster Financial presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.77.

Webster Financial Trading Down 3.2%

WBS opened at $64.13 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $62.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.17. Webster Financial Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $39.43 and a fifty-two week high of $67.43. The company has a market cap of $10.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $760.48 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $731.95 million. Webster Financial had a net margin of 22.67% and a return on equity of 11.10%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.43 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Webster Financial Corporation will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.07%.

Webster Financial Profile

Webster Financial Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Waterbury, Connecticut. Through its principal subsidiary, Webster Bank, N.A., the company offers a broad range of banking products and financial services to individuals, small businesses, and middle-market commercial clients. Key offerings include deposit accounts, residential and commercial real estate lending, equipment finance, treasury management, and payment processing solutions.

In addition to traditional banking services, Webster Financial provides wealth management and insurance products designed to help clients plan for retirement, preserve assets, and manage risk.