Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) Short Interest Update

Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) saw a large decrease in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,358,203 shares, a decrease of 20.3% from the December 15th total of 4,212,263 shares. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,177,110 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,177,110 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Insider Activity at Webster Financial

In related news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.45, for a total value of $443,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,857,302.40. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Webster Financial

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of WBS. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 18.7% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,005 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the period. Curi Capital LLC raised its stake in Webster Financial by 0.3% during the second quarter. Curi Capital LLC now owns 68,500 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,740,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 27.9% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 839 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. BCGM Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. BCGM Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,161 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $882,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,348 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Webster Financial Stock Up 0.4%

WBS stock opened at $64.64 on Friday. Webster Financial has a twelve month low of $39.43 and a twelve month high of $66.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.05. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $61.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.94.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $756.06 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $725.22 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.07% and a net margin of 21.32%.During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.34 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Webster Financial will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is presently 29.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on WBS shares. Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Webster Financial from $64.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Webster Financial from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Webster Financial has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.77.

Webster Financial Company Profile

Webster Financial Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Waterbury, Connecticut. Through its principal subsidiary, Webster Bank, N.A., the company offers a broad range of banking products and financial services to individuals, small businesses, and middle-market commercial clients. Key offerings include deposit accounts, residential and commercial real estate lending, equipment finance, treasury management, and payment processing solutions.

In addition to traditional banking services, Webster Financial provides wealth management and insurance products designed to help clients plan for retirement, preserve assets, and manage risk.