Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) Raised to "Hold" at StockNews.com

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on WBS. Stephens set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $76.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised Webster Financial from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their target price for the company from $70.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Wedbush lifted their price target on Webster Financial from $52.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $61.46.

Webster Financial Trading Down 2.8 %

WBS traded down $1.54 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $53.73. 1,138,953 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 937,759. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $57.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $50.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.21 billion, a PE ratio of 12.18, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. Webster Financial has a 52-week low of $39.33 and a 52-week high of $63.99.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.01). Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.03% and a net margin of 18.80%. The company had revenue of $647.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $677.72 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.55 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Webster Financial will post 5.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Albert Jen-Wen Wang sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.43, for a total transaction of $209,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at $748,333.39. This trade represents a 21.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel Bley sold 500 shares of the company's 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 transaction, the insider now owns 17,279 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,069,742.89. This 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 37,250 shares of company stock valued at $2,105,322. Corporate insiders own 0.88% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Webster Financial

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 340.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 595 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 460 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at about $53,000. NBC Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 117.9% in the third quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,268 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 686 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Webster Financial by 45.9% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,398 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.