Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Shares Sold by Leeward Investments LLC MA

Leeward Investments LLC MA lessened its position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS - Free Report) by 3.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 143,742 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 4,928 shares during the quarter. Leeward Investments LLC MA owned approximately 0.08% of Webster Financial worth $7,937,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WBS. M&G PLC grew its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 9.4% during the third 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. bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the 4th quarter worth $269,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Webster Financial during the fourth quarter valued at $246,000. HighTower Advisors LLC grew 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 valued at $1,488,000 after purchasing an additional 2,032 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,468,942 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $68,467,000 after acquiring an additional 34,373 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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 value of $459,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 210,051 shares in the company, valued at $12,063,228.93. This trade represents a 3.67 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Laurence C. Morse sold 13,217 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.07, for a total value of $780,728.19. Following the sale, the director now owns 18,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,110,988.56. The trade was a 41.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,717 shares of company stock valued at $1,271,123. Insiders own 0.72% of the company's stock.

Webster Financial Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE:WBS traded up $0.27 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $55.93. The stock had a trading volume of 563,499 shares, compared to its average volume of 931,162. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $57.49 and a 200 day moving average of $53.57. The company has a market capitalization of $9.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.80, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.29. Webster Financial Co. has a one year low of $39.33 and a one year 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.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 18.39%. The business had revenue of $661.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $687.53 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.88 EPS for the current year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. Webster Financial's payout ratio is currently 36.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group began coverage on Webster Financial in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $76.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Webster Financial from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Webster Financial from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Barclays increased their price target on Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Three 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 stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $62.08.

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.