Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Holdings Decreased by Entropy Technologies LP

Entropy Technologies LP cut its holdings in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS - Free Report) by 44.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 21,600 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 17,557 shares during the quarter. Entropy Technologies LP's holdings in Webster Financial were worth $1,007,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Webster Financial by 340.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 595 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the second quarter worth $32,000. Mather Group LLC. increased its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 7,650.0% during the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,240 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 1,224 shares during the period. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 117.9% during the 3rd quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,268 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 686 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Webster Financial Trading Down 0.3 %

Webster Financial stock traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $59.67. The stock had a trading volume of 819,855 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,261,685. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.23 billion, a PE ratio of 13.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $49.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.37. Webster Financial Co. has a twelve month low of $39.33 and a twelve month high of $61.12.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.35 by ($0.01). Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.03% and a net margin of 18.80%. The firm had revenue of $647.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $677.72 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.55 EPS. Analysts expect that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 1st were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 1st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.68%. Webster Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WBS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Webster Financial from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Webster Financial from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 18th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Webster Financial from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $57.00 to $54.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Webster Financial from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $57.85.

Insider Buying and Selling at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, Director Mark Pettie sold 4,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.14, for a total value of $230,130.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 32,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,676,369.20. This trade represents a 12.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Javier L. Evans sold 10,137 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.41, for a total transaction of $581,965.17. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 22,657 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,300,738.37. This represents a 30.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 22,100 shares of company stock valued at $1,202,237 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.88% 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.