Handelsbanken Fonder AB Increases Stock Holdings in Webster Financial Corporation $WBS

Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) by 33.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 56,093 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 14,200 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Webster Financial were worth $3,334,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of WBS. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 94,385 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,866,000 after acquiring an additional 2,049 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Webster Financial during the first quarter worth about $114,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in Webster Financial by 15.2% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 40,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,069,000 after purchasing an additional 5,299 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in Webster Financial by 37.0% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 652,921 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,658,000 after purchasing an additional 176,258 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in Webster Financial by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 476,095 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $24,543,000 after buying an additional 20,090 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Webster Financial Price Performance

WBS opened at $68.82 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $67.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $62.49. Webster Financial Corporation has a twelve month low of $39.43 and a twelve month high of $74.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market capitalization of $11.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.64 and a beta of 1.03.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.07. Webster Financial had a net margin of 22.67% and a return on equity of 11.10%. The company had revenue of $760.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $731.95 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Webster Financial Corporation will post 5.88 EPS for the current year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is 27.07%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WBS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $73.00 target price on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Webster Financial from $77.00 to $75.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup downgraded shares of Webster Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Webster Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.50.

Webster Financial Company Profile

Webster Financial Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Waterbury, Connecticut. Through its principal subsidiary, Webster Bank, N.A., the company offers a broad range of banking products and financial services to individuals, small businesses, and middle-market commercial clients. Key offerings include deposit accounts, residential and commercial real estate lending, equipment finance, treasury management, and payment processing solutions.

In addition to traditional banking services, Webster Financial provides wealth management and insurance products designed to help clients plan for retirement, preserve assets, and manage risk.