Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the sixteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $74.50.

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays set a $75.00 price objective on Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Webster Financial from $77.00 to $75.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut Webster Financial from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $73.00 price target on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th.

Webster Financial Price Performance

NYSE WBS opened at $67.26 on Friday. Webster Financial has a 12 month low of $39.43 and a 12 month high of $74.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.84 billion, a PE ratio of 11.38 and a beta of 1.03. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.98.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $760.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $731.95 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.10% and a net margin of 22.67%.During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.43 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Webster Financial will post 5.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is currently 27.07%.

Institutional Trading of Webster Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WBS. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Webster Financial in the second quarter worth approximately $131,780,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 7,442.8% during the 3rd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 2,032,937 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $120,838,000 after acquiring an additional 2,005,985 shares during the last quarter. 140 Summer Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at $75,465,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 221.0% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,565,623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $85,483,000 after acquiring an additional 1,077,819 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the 4th quarter worth $56,253,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Webster Financial

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.