Gator Capital Management LLC Lowers Position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS)

Gator Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS) by 0.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 76,100 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 300 shares during the quarter. Webster Financial accounts for approximately 1.6% of Gator Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Gator Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Webster Financial were worth $4,202,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Webster Financial by 158.5% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 382,473 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $21,120,000 after buying an additional 234,526 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Webster Financial in the fourth quarter worth $1,394,000. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Webster Financial in the fourth quarter worth $25,464,000. Cinctive Capital Management LP increased its stake in Webster Financial by 81.9% in the fourth quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP now owns 102,988 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,687,000 after acquiring an additional 46,359 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new stake in Webster Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,983,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Webster Financial Trading Down 5.0 %

NYSE WBS opened at $41.75 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.15 billion, a PE ratio of 9.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $54.62 and its 200 day moving average is $54.62. Webster Financial Co. has a twelve month low of $39.34 and a twelve month high of $63.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. Webster Financial had a net margin of 18.39% and a return on equity of 10.82%. The firm had revenue of $661.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $687.53 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.83%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on WBS shares. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Webster Financial from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $75.00 to $66.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on shares of Webster Financial in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $76.00 target price on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $62.92.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.43, for a total value of $459,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 210,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,063,228.93. The trade was a 3.67 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Laurence C. Morse sold 13,217 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.07, for a total transaction of $780,728.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 18,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,110,988.56. The trade was a 41.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Webster Financial 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.