Hantz Financial Services Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Webster Financial Corporation $WBS

Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) by 814.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,753 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,358 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Webster Financial were worth $803,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WBS. BOKF NA purchased a new position in Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Webster Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Webster Financial by 39.7% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 560 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on WBS. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Webster Financial from $77.00 to $75.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Santander lowered Webster Financial from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Webster Financial in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $69.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Webster Financial from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.96.

Webster Financial Price Performance

Shares of WBS stock opened at $72.67 on Friday. Webster Financial Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $50.24 and a fifty-two week high of $74.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.89 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $71.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.42.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.04. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 22.95%.The business had revenue of $764.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $735.26 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Webster Financial Corporation will post 6.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 21st. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.19%.

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.