Natixis Advisors L.P. Grows Stock Position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS)

Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS - Free Report) by 19.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 171,215 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 27,463 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. owned 0.10% of Webster Financial worth $8,690,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in Webster Financial by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 86,977 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,506,000 after purchasing an additional 3,505 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Webster Financial by 12.1% during the third quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 7,325 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $295,000 after acquiring an additional 792 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Webster Financial by 31.0% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 24,979 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,007,000 after acquiring an additional 5,915 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Webster Financial by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,732,942 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $110,165,000 after acquiring an additional 48,445 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Partners II LLC boosted its stake in Webster Financial by 18.5% during the 3rd quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC now owns 7,682 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 1,197 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on WBS shares. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Webster Financial from $65.00 to $56.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 8th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $57.00 to $54.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Raymond James reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $56.23.

Webster Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WBS traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $45.95. 816,618 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,210,703. The company's 50 day moving average price is $47.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.87. The firm has a market cap of $7.89 billion, a PE ratio of 9.42, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.35. Webster Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $31.62 and a 52 week high of $53.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.37 by ($0.02). Webster Financial had a return on equity of 12.55% and a net margin of 21.09%. The firm had revenue of $667.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $680.72 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 6th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.48%. Webster Financial's payout ratio is 32.79%.

Insider Transactions at Webster Financial

In other news, insider Daniel Bley sold 2,280 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.80, for a total transaction of $102,144.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 28,693 shares in the company, valued at $1,285,446.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.88% 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.