First Eagle Investment Management LLC Buys 14,935 Shares of Webster Financial Corporation $WBS

First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) by 7.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 206,809 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 14,935 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.12% of Webster Financial worth $12,293,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in WBS. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Webster Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Webster Financial by 56.1% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 829 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 50.3% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 899 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Webster Financial Stock Down 3.6%

WBS opened at $68.82 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.64 and a beta of 1.03. 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’s fifty day moving average price is $67.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.49. Webster Financial Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $39.43 and a fifty-two week high of $74.00.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.07. Webster Financial had a net margin of 22.67% and a return on equity of 11.10%. 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 firm earned $1.43 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Webster Financial Corporation will post 5.88 EPS for the current year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WBS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Santander downgraded Webster Financial from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $73.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup downgraded Webster Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Webster Financial from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.50.

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.