For the quarter ended December 2024, Webster Financial (WBS) reported revenue of $660.98 million, up 4.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.43, compared to $1.46 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of -3.64% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $685.95 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.36, the EPS surprise was +5.15%.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Webster Financial performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Net Interest Margin: 3.4% compared to the 3.3% average estimate based on six analysts.
- Efficiency Ratio: 44.8% versus the six-analyst average estimate of 48.1%.
- Net charge-offs/average loans and leases (annualized): 0.5% compared to the 0.3% average estimate based on five analysts.
- Average balance - Total interest-earning assets: $71.86 billion versus $71.52 billion estimated by five analysts on average.
- Total nonperforming loans and leases: $461.33 million versus $443.36 million estimated by two analysts on average.
- Total Non-Interest Income: $52.51 million versus $88.53 million estimated by six analysts on average.
- Net Interest Income: $608.47 million versus $598.29 million estimated by five analysts on average.
- Wealth and investment services: $8.39 million compared to the $8.71 million average estimate based on five analysts.
- Loan and lease related fees: $18.77 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $18.69 million.
- Deposit service fees: $38.67 million versus $39.64 million estimated by five analysts on average.
- Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies: $7.39 million versus $7.78 million estimated by four analysts on average.
- Non-interest income- Other income: $36.18 million versus $14.32 million estimated by four analysts on average.
Shares of Webster Financial have returned +7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -2.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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