Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Shares Bought by John G Ullman & Associates Inc.

John G Ullman & Associates Inc. raised its stake in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 31,850 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Webster Financial were worth $1,617,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WBS. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Webster Financial by 88.3% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,401,872 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $976,594,000 after purchasing an additional 8,161,424 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Webster Financial by 219.4% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,782,300 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $268,381,000 after buying an additional 3,285,002 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 68.8% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,511,290 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $421,534,000 after purchasing an additional 3,061,831 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 2,063.7% in the second quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,888,900 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $71,306,000 after purchasing an additional 1,801,600 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $84,632,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Webster Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WBS traded up $1.12 on Friday, hitting $46.39. The company had a trading volume of 1,208,513 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,130,793. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Webster Financial Co. has a 52-week low of $31.03 and a 52-week high of $53.39. The business has a 50 day moving average of $48.01 and a 200 day moving average of $46.25. The company has a market cap of $7.97 billion, a PE ratio of 9.26, a PEG ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.33.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.02). Webster Financial had a net margin of 22.01% and a return on equity of 13.05%. The company had revenue of $996.96 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $674.82 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.60 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 16th. Investors of record on Monday, February 5th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.45%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is currently 32.72%.

Insider Activity at Webster Financial

In related news, insider Christopher J. Motl sold 10,475 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.40, for a total value of $548,890.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 63,306 shares in the company, valued at $3,317,234.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Webster Financial news, insider Daniel Bley sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.60, for a total transaction of $95,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 27,955 shares in the company, valued at $1,330,658. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Christopher J. Motl sold 10,475 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.40, for a total value of $548,890.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 63,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,317,234.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 29,941 shares of company stock worth $1,545,582. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on WBS shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $64.00 target price on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Webster Financial from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $60.00 to $65.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Webster Financial from $65.00 to $56.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 8th. Bank of America started coverage on Webster Financial in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Webster Financial from $59.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Webster Financial presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $57.85.

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.