Holocene Advisors LP Purchases Shares of 744,510 Webster Financial Corporation $WBS

Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new position in shares of Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 744,510 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $44,254,000. Holocene Advisors LP owned about 0.46% of Webster Financial as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WBS. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Webster Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $131,780,000. 140 Summer Partners LP acquired a new position in Webster Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $75,465,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Webster Financial by 221.0% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,565,623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $85,483,000 after buying an additional 1,077,819 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in Webster Financial by 65.2% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 2,070,013 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $123,042,000 after buying an additional 817,218 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 2,735.9% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 735,151 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $43,697,000 after buying an additional 709,228 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Webster Financial Stock Up 1.1%

WBS stock opened at $67.97 on Tuesday. Webster Financial Corporation has a 52 week low of $39.43 and a 52 week high of $74.00. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $68.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $63.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market cap of $10.96 billion, a PE ratio of 11.50 and a beta of 1.03.

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

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Webster Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.07%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WBS shares. Citigroup cut shares of Webster Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Raymond James Financial cut shares of Webster Financial from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Webster Financial from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. UBS Group lowered shares of Webster Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Santander cut shares of Webster Financial from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.50.

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.