Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) Short Interest Down 15.6% in January

Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,833,262 shares, a decline of 15.6% from the December 31st total of 3,358,203 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,332,711 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.1 days. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,332,711 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.1 days.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Webster Financial news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.45, for a total value of $443,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 231,872 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,857,302.40. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.54% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Webster Financial

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BOKF NA purchased a new position in shares of Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the third quarter worth $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WBS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays upped their price target on Webster Financial from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $72.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $73.46.

Webster Financial Trading Up 0.2%

Webster Financial stock opened at $65.75 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.07. Webster Financial has a 12-month low of $39.43 and a 12-month high of $67.43. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $63.51 and a 200 day moving average of $60.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $760.48 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $731.95 million. Webster Financial had a net margin of 22.67% and a return on equity of 11.10%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.43 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Webster Financial will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.07%.

About Webster Financial

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.