Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 72,294 Shares of Webster Financial Corporation $WBS

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 815,225 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 72,294 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.49% of Webster Financial worth $48,457,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WBS. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 2,049 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new position in Webster Financial during the first quarter worth $114,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Webster Financial by 15.2% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 40,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,069,000 after acquiring an additional 5,299 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 37.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 652,921 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,658,000 after acquiring an additional 176,258 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 20,090 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Webster Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Webster Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Definitive merger agreement: Webster will be acquired by Banco Santander in a $12.3 billion cash‑and‑stock deal that pays Webster shareholders $48.75 in cash plus 2.0548 Santander American Depository Shares per WBS share (implying roughly $75.59/share based on Santander stock). The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026 and provides an outsized near‑term valuation for WBS holders. Webster Financial Corporation Enters Into Merger Agreement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts mark limited upside post‑takeover: Several sell‑side analysts have moved to Hold and set price targets near the takeout level (around $74–$75), noting the acquisition caps upside for WBS shares before deal close. That reduces incentive for speculative buyers above the tender/implied price. Hold Rating on Webster Financial
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading dynamics: WBS experienced a temporary trading halt when the deal was announced and is now trading with materially higher volume — an indication of takeover-related flows rather than fresh fundamental news. (Halts and heavy volume are typical around deal announcements and can increase intraday volatility.)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple shareholder law firms have launched investigations and shareholder alerts questioning whether Webster’s board obtained a fair price and followed proper process; firms involved include Kahn Swick & Foti, Halper Sadeh, Johnson Fistel and Ademi. Potential litigation or challenges could delay closing, increase transaction costs, or pressure deal terms. KSF Investor Alert Halper Sadeh Alert Johnson Fistel Investigation Ademi Firm Alert

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WBS shares. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $73.00 price target on shares of Webster Financial in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. Santander downgraded Webster Financial to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Truist Financial cut Webster Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $74.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Webster Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.07.

Webster Financial Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of WBS opened at $72.42 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $64.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.68 billion, a PE ratio of 12.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.07. Webster Financial Corporation has a 12-month low of $39.43 and a 12-month high of $73.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

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

Webster Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.07%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Webster Financial news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.45, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

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.