Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) Share Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $49.62 and traded as high as $55.32. Webster Financial shares last traded at $54.88, with a volume of 611,119 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WBS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $76.00 target price for the company. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Wedbush lifted their price objective on Webster Financial from $52.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Webster Financial from $57.00 to $54.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.31.

Webster Financial Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $9.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.44, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $57.23 and a 200 day moving average of $49.62.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.01). Webster Financial had a net margin of 18.80% and a return on equity of 11.03%. The business had revenue of $647.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $677.72 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.55 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Friday, November 1st were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 1st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.92%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Webster Financial

In other news, insider Daniel Bley sold 3,463 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.10, for a total value of $180,422.30. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 19,529 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,017,460.90. The trade was a 15.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Albert Jen-Wen Wang sold 4,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction on Monday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.43, for a total value of $209,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 14,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $748,333.39. The trade was a 21.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 37,250 shares of company stock worth $2,105,322 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Webster Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its holdings in Webster Financial by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 36,198 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,578,000 after acquiring an additional 736 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Webster Financial by 27.7% in the 2nd quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,767 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 1,467 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Webster Financial by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 6,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $278,000 after buying an additional 521 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Webster Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $71,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. 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.