Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Shares Sold by Trillium Asset Management LLC

Trillium Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) by 4.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 157,610 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 7,054 shares during the quarter. Trillium Asset Management LLC owned 0.09% of Webster Financial worth $8,704,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WBS. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new stake in Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $286,000. Natixis Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Webster Financial by 29.6% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 236,252 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,012,000 after purchasing an additional 53,950 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of Webster Financial by 26.1% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 212,272 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,894,000 after purchasing an additional 44,000 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Webster Financial by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 78,342 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,652,000 after purchasing an additional 5,993 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Webster Financial by 45.9% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,398 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on WBS shares. StockNews.com upgraded Webster Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 11th. UBS Group started coverage on Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $76.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Webster Financial from $75.00 to $66.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Webster Financial from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Webster Financial from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Webster Financial has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $63.08.

Insider Transactions at Webster Financial

In related news, Director Laurence C. Morse sold 13,217 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.07, for a total transaction of $780,728.19. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 18,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,110,988.56. This trade represents a 41.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.43, for a total value of $459,440.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 210,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,063,228.93. The trade was a 3.67 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Webster Financial Stock Performance

Shares of Webster Financial stock opened at $50.90 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $8.72 billion, a PE ratio of 11.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.28. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $56.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.20. 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 Co. has a 12 month low of $39.34 and a 12 month high of $63.99.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $661.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $687.53 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 18.39%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.14%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.61%.

Webster Financial Company 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.