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

Shares of Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $74.3571.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on WBS shares. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $73.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays set a $75.00 target price on Webster Financial in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Webster Financial from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Webster Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Webster Financial from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th.

Webster Financial Trading Up 1.3%

WBS opened at $72.07 on Wednesday. Webster Financial has a twelve month low of $39.43 and a twelve month high of $73.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a fifty day moving average of $66.13 and a 200-day moving average of $61.40. The stock has a market cap of $11.62 billion, a PE ratio of 12.19 and a beta of 1.07.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.07. Webster Financial had a net margin of 22.67% and a return on equity of 11.10%. The business had revenue of $760.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $731.95 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.43 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Webster Financial will post 5.88 EPS for the current year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Trading of Webster Financial

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BOKF NA bought a new stake in Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently 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.