Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) Shares Sold by Azora Capital LP

Azora Capital LP lessened its holdings in shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) by 13.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,884,533 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 283,438 shares during the quarter. Webster Financial makes up approximately 4.8% of Azora Capital LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Azora Capital LP’s holdings in Webster Financial were worth $87,838,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Webster Financial by 340.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 595 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Webster Financial during the second quarter worth $32,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Webster Financial during the third quarter worth $53,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 7,650.0% in the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,240 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 1,224 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Webster Financial

In related news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.33, for a total transaction of $474,640.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 218,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,988,760.92. The trade was a 3.53 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.50, for a total transaction of $297,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 33,657 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,591.50. The trade was a 12.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 36,750 shares of company stock valued at $2,074,367. Corporate insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Webster Financial Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of Webster Financial stock opened at $61.78 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. Webster Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $39.33 and a 12-month high of $63.99. The company has a market capitalization of $10.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.01, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.27. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $52.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.60.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.01). Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.03% and a net margin of 18.80%. The firm had revenue of $647.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $677.72 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.55 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 1st were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 1st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.59%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is 36.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WBS. Stephens set a $58.00 target price on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $58.00 to $55.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. StockNews.com downgraded Webster Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Barclays increased their target price on Webster Financial from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Webster Financial from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $57.85.

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.