Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Stephens set a $58.00 price target on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $57.00 to $54.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 30th. UBS Group started coverage on Webster Financial in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $76.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Webster Financial from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Webster Financial has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $60.31.

Webster Financial Stock Performance

Webster Financial stock traded up $0.67 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $55.48. 842,513 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 760,256. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Webster Financial has a 12 month low of $39.33 and a 12 month high of $63.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.29. The business has a 50 day moving average of $57.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $50.01.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $647.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $677.72 million. Webster Financial had a net margin of 18.80% and a return on equity of 11.03%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.55 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Webster Financial will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.33, for a total value of $474,640.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 218,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,988,760.92. The trade was a 3.53 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel Bley sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.91, for a total value 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. Insiders sold a total of 37,250 shares of company stock valued at $2,105,322 in the last three months. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Webster Financial

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Webster Financial during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at $53,000. NBC Securities Inc. lifted its position in 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 during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased 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 valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

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.