Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have assigned a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $74.0714.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Webster Financial from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $69.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Raymond James Financial cut shares of Webster Financial from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $73.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Wednesday, February 4th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Webster Financial

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BOKF NA purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the third quarter worth $26,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the third quarter worth $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Webster Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WBS opened at $72.52 on Thursday. Webster Financial has a 1 year low of $43.73 and a 1 year high of $74.00. 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 company’s 50-day moving average is $70.54 and its 200 day moving average is $64.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.27 and a beta of 1.03.

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

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.07%.

Webster Financial Company Profile

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.