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

Shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eleven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $55.75.

A number of analysts have commented on WBS shares. Raymond James reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. StockNews.com raised shares of Webster Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 27th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th.

Webster Financial Price Performance

WBS opened at $43.45 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $43.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. Webster Financial has a 52 week low of $36.36 and a 52 week high of $53.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of 8.90, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.30.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by ($0.02). Webster Financial had a return on equity of 12.55% and a net margin of 21.09%. The business had revenue of $667.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $680.72 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. Webster Financial’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Webster Financial will post 5.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 6th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.68%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is currently 32.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, insider Daniel Bley sold 2,280 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.80, for a total value of $102,144.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 28,693 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,285,446.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Webster Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WBS. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Spire Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 79.1% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 607 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 29.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,114 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.