Analysts Set Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Price Target at $55.36

Shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $55.36.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WBS shares. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $54.00 to $51.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Webster Financial from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $54.00 to $57.00 in a research note on Monday, August 5th.

Webster Financial Price Performance

WBS opened at $44.69 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Webster Financial has a 52-week low of $36.36 and a 52-week high of $53.39. The company has a 50 day moving average of $45.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.69. The company has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.28.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $671.91 million. Webster Financial had a net margin of 19.81% and a return on equity of 11.81%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Webster Financial will post 5.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 29th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 29th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.58%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Webster Financial news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.04, for a total transaction of $384,320.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 237,049 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,387,833.96. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.07, for a total value of $245,350.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 45,157 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,215,853.99. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.04, for a total transaction of $384,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 237,049 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,833.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 14,650 shares of company stock valued at $706,098. Company insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Webster Financial

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of WBS. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Spire Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 79.1% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 607 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 7,650.0% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,240 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 1,224 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Webster Financial Company Profile

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.