19,798 Shares in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Acquired by Ieq Capital LLC

Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 19,798 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,093,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. M&G PLC raised its position in Webster Financial by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 207,297 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,743,000 after buying an additional 17,746 shares during the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Webster Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $269,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new stake in Webster Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $246,000. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 31,978 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,488,000 after buying an additional 2,032 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Webster Financial by 2.4% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,468,942 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $68,467,000 after purchasing an additional 34,373 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Webster Financial Stock Performance

NYSE:WBS opened at $55.69 on Tuesday. Webster Financial Co. has a twelve month low of $39.33 and a twelve month high of $63.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $53.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.54 billion, a PE ratio of 12.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.29.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. Webster Financial had a net margin of 18.39% and a return on equity of 10.82%. The business had revenue of $661.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $687.53 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.87%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is 36.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on WBS. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $76.00 price target on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Webster Financial from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Webster Financial from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $62.08.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.43, for a total value of $459,440.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 210,051 shares in the company, valued at $12,063,228.93. This represents a 3.67 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Daniel Bley sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.91, for a total transaction of $30,955.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 17,279 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,069,742.89. This trade represents a 2.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,717 shares of company stock valued at $1,271,123. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Webster Financial 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.