Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 19,617 Shares of Webster Financial Corporation $WBS

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lowered its position in Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) by 25.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 58,326 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 19,617 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Webster Financial were worth $3,467,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 2.2% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 94,385 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,866,000 after acquiring an additional 2,049 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Webster Financial during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $114,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Webster Financial by 15.2% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 40,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,069,000 after buying an additional 5,299 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Webster Financial by 37.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 652,921 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,658,000 after buying an additional 176,258 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 4.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 476,095 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $24,543,000 after acquiring an additional 20,090 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.45, for a total transaction of $443,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,872 shares in the company, valued at $12,857,302.40. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WBS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Webster Financial from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup decreased their target price on Webster Financial from $77.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Webster Financial from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $73.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group downgraded Webster Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $77.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Thursday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.36.

Webster Financial News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Santander agreed to acquire Webster in a transaction that market reports say will increase Santander’s U.S. scale and profitability — this takeover announcement is the primary bullish catalyst for WBS today. Santander to Buy Webster Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target from $77 to $75 and moved to an “equal weight” stance — a modest target cut that still implies small upside vs. current levels, so it’s a minor, mixed signal. Benzinga

Webster Financial Price Performance

Shares of Webster Financial stock opened at $73.28 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $11.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.40 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $64.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $60.74. Webster Financial Corporation has a one year low of $39.43 and a one year high of $73.50.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.07. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.10% and a net margin of 22.67%.The company had revenue of $760.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $731.95 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.43 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Webster Financial Corporation will post 5.88 EPS for the current year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 27.07%.

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.