GTS Securities LLC Makes New $387,000 Investment in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS)

GTS Securities LLC acquired a new position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 7,006 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $387,000.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WBS. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Webster Financial in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,549,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,507,655 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $83,253,000 after acquiring an additional 38,713 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Webster Financial by 36.4% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 297,834 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $13,883,000 after acquiring an additional 79,556 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 34.2% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 18,647 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,028,000 after acquiring an additional 4,755 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Webster Financial by 222.1% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 78,822 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,353,000 after purchasing an additional 54,354 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company's stock.

Webster Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WBS traded down $0.53 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $51.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,397,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,276,898. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.80, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $48.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $54.00. Webster Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $39.34 and a 12-month high of $63.99.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.08). Webster Financial had a net margin of 18.39% and a return on equity of 10.82%. The company had revenue of $704.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $708.46 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.10%. Webster Financial's payout ratio is 36.04%.

Webster Financial declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, May 1st that permits the company to repurchase $700.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Webster Financial from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $75.00 to $66.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $60.00 target price on shares of Webster Financial and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Webster Financial from $75.00 to $60.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Truist Financial assumed coverage on Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $61.00 target price for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Webster Financial presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $63.75.

Insider Activity at Webster Financial

In other Webster Financial news, Director Lauren States sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.80, for a total transaction of $111,760.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,620 shares in the company, valued at approximately $742,696. This represents a 13.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Javier L. Evans sold 7,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.58, for a total value of $410,124.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,042,135.60. This represents a 28.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,000 shares of company stock worth $667,960 in the last three months. 0.54% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.