Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Shares Sold by Amundi

Amundi cut its holdings in shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS - Free Report) by 35.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,224 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 9,378 shares during the period. Amundi's holdings in Webster Financial were worth $952,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WBS. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $286,000. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 29.6% in the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 236,252 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $11,012,000 after acquiring an additional 53,950 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of Webster Financial by 26.1% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 212,272 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $9,894,000 after acquiring an additional 44,000 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC raised its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 8.3% in the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 78,342 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,652,000 after acquiring an additional 5,993 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Webster Financial by 45.9% in the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,398 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Webster Financial Stock Performance

NYSE:WBS traded up $0.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $51.57. 2,173,740 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,176,270. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Webster Financial Co. has a 1 year low of $39.34 and a 1 year high of $63.99. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $56.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.28.

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

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. Webster Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.61%.

Insider Activity at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, Director Laurence C. Morse sold 13,217 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.07, for a total value of $780,728.19. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 18,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,110,988.56. The trade was a 41.27 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.43, for a total transaction of $459,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 210,051 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,063,228.93. This trade represents a 3.67 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on WBS shares. StockNews.com upgraded Webster Financial from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, January 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Webster Financial from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $76.00 price target for the company. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $75.00 to $66.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $63.08.

About Webster Financial

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.