Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.02 EPS

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by ($0.02), Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $667.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $680.72 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 12.55% and a net margin of 21.09%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share.

Webster Financial Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Webster Financial stock traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $45.58. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 208,096 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,149,743. Webster Financial has a twelve month low of $31.03 and a twelve month high of $53.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $47.94 and a 200-day moving average of $46.49. The stock has a market cap of $7.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 16th. Investors of record on Monday, May 6th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.51%. Webster Financial’s payout ratio is 32.79%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Christopher J. Motl sold 10,475 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.40, for a total value of $548,890.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 63,306 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,317,234.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, COO Luis Massiani sold 13,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.63, for a total value of $697,005.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 89,621 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,627,132.23. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Christopher J. Motl sold 10,475 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.40, for a total value of $548,890.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 63,306 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,317,234.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 25,975 shares of company stock valued at $1,341,095 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WBS shares. Barclays decreased their price target on Webster Financial from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Webster Financial from $57.00 to $54.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Webster Financial from $65.00 to $56.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 8th. StockNews.com raised Webster Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on Webster Financial from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $56.23.

Webster Financial Company Profile

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.