Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd Makes New Investment in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS)

Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 25,243 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,394,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in Webster Financial by 46.1% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 9,624 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $449,000 after buying an additional 3,036 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Webster Financial by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 31,978 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,488,000 after acquiring an additional 2,032 shares in the last quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Webster Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $312,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Webster Financial by 63.7% in the third quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 8,884 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $414,000 after purchasing an additional 3,456 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp increased its stake in Webster Financial by 12.0% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 158,454 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,386,000 after purchasing an additional 17,020 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Webster Financial Trading Down 5.0 %

NYSE:WBS opened at $41.75 on Friday. Webster Financial Co. has a 1 year low of $39.34 and a 1 year high of $63.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $54.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $54.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.55, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.05.

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

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.83%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.61%.

Insider Activity at Webster Financial

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on WBS shares. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Webster Financial from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $70.00 to $75.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. 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 report on Tuesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their target price 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. UBS Group started coverage on Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $76.00 target price for the company. Finally, Raymond James cut their price target on Webster Financial from $65.00 to $58.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $62.92.

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.