Peak6 LLC Takes Position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS)

PEAK6 LLC purchased a new position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 24,303 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,342,000.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of WBS. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Webster Financial by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 32,155 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,776,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 19,336 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,163,000 after buying an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management raised its holdings in Webster Financial by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 49,983 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,760,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Webster Financial by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 7,143 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $394,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Penbrook Management LLC grew its holdings in Webster Financial by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Penbrook Management LLC now owns 4,830 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $267,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company's stock.

Webster Financial Price Performance

WBS stock traded down $0.13 during trading on Friday, hitting $47.77. The company had a trading volume of 522,551 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,288,963. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The business has a 50 day moving average of $49.73 and a 200 day moving average of $54.31. Webster Financial Co. has a fifty-two week low of $39.33 and a fifty-two week high of $63.99.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.38 by ($0.08). Webster Financial had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 18.39%. The firm had revenue of $704.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $708.46 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.35%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. Webster Financial's payout ratio is 36.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WBS. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Webster Financial from $65.00 to $58.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $80.00 to $72.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $75.00 to $60.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $63.45.

Insider Activity

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 value of $780,728.19. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 18,808 shares in the company, valued at $1,110,988.56. The trade was a 41.27 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $12,063,228.93. This trade represents a 3.67 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.54% of the company's stock.

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.