Webster Financial – WBS – Earnings Better Than Market Estimates by $0.04

Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE: WBS), the holding company for Webster Bank, N.A., today announced net income available to common shareholders of $47.9 million, or $0.52 per diluted share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 compared to $44.4 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2012 and $39.6 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2011.

WBS – Highlights for the quarter or at December 31 include:

• Combined growth in commercial and commercial real estate loans of $339.4 million, or 5.9 percent, from September 30, and $860.6 million, or 16.4 percent, from a year ago.
• Deposit growth of $117.4 million, or 0.8 percent, linked quarter and $874.8 million, or 6.4 percent, over prior year. Transaction account deposits, which had a cost of 0.13 percent in the quarter, now represent an all time high of 41.0 percent of total deposits.
• Continued improvement in asset quality as evidenced by a 7.2 percent reduction in commercial classified loans from September 30 and a reduction of 34.8 percent from a year ago; nonperforming assets increased 18.3 percent from September 30 and 2.7 percent from a year ago and otherwise would have decreased compared to each date as a net of $39.5 million of residential and consumer loans were reclassified as nonaccrual in the quarter under regulatory guidance.
• Continued achievement of positive operating leverage of 4.6 percent as core revenue grew by 3.5 percent and core expenses declined by 1.1 percent from the third quarter, which resulted in achievement of a 60 percent operating efficiency ratio in the fourth quarter.
• Return on assets, return on common equity, and return on total equity improved to 0.98 percent, 9.74 percent, and 9.54 percent, respectively, compared to 0.92 percent, 9.19 percent, and 9.18 percent, respectively, in the third quarter.

“Our record fourth quarter results cap a year of strong performance for Webster,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James C. Smith said. “Core net income reached an all-time high in the fourth quarter. Loan originations rose 40 percent in the fourth quarter from a year ago and 46 percent for the full year to set a new record, and our loans to businesses now comprise more than half of our total loan portfolio. Webster’s solid capital position and earnings momentum will enable us to return capital to our shareholders over time by gradually increasing the dividend payout ratio and repurchasing additional common shares. We are deeper, stronger, and able to meet our customers’ financial needs better than ever before.”

About Webster Financial Corporation – WBS

Webster Financial Corporation (WBS) is the holding company for Webster Bank, National Association. With $20 billion in assets, Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, financial planning, trust and investment services through 168 banking offices, 294 ATMs, telephone banking, mobile banking, and the Internet. Webster Bank owns the asset based lending firm Webster Business Credit Corporation; the equipment finance firm Webster Capital Finance Corporation; and provides health savings account trustee and administrative services through HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank. Member FDIC and equal housing lender.

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Post Written By: Ed Liston Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing in his yacht.