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

StockNews.com cut shares of Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report issued on Friday.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $58.00 to $55.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $57.00 to $54.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Barclays upped their target price on Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Wedbush lifted their price target on Webster Financial from $52.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Stephens set a $58.00 price target on Webster Financial in a report on Thursday, October 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Webster Financial presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $60.31.

Webster Financial Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:WBS opened at $55.48 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $50.01. Webster Financial has a 1 year low of $39.33 and a 1 year high of $63.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The company has a market capitalization of $9.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.29.

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

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 1st were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 1st. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.28%.

Insider Activity

In other Webster Financial news, CAO Albert Jen-Wen Wang sold 4,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.43, for a total transaction of $209,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Daniel Bley sold 3,463 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.10, for a total value of $180,422.30. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,529 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,017,460.90. The trade was a 15.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 37,250 shares of company stock valued at $2,105,322 over the last quarter. 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Webster Financial

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Webster Financial by 340.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 595 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at $53,000. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its position in Webster Financial by 117.9% during the third quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,268 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 686 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Webster Financial by 45.9% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,398 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is currently 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.