East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) Director Sells $135,020.00 in Stock

East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC) Director Jack Liu sold 1,000 shares of East West Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.02, for a total value of $135,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 13,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,850,989.18. This represents a 6.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

East West Bancorp Trading Up 1.5%

EWBC stock traded up $2.01 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $135.05. 635,552 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 726,598. The company has a 50-day moving average of $130.65 and a 200-day moving average of $121.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. East West Bancorp, Inc. has a 1 year low of $92.67 and a 1 year high of $136.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.50 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.94.

East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.61 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $789.98 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $784.47 million. East West Bancorp had a return on equity of 16.07% and a net margin of 30.45%.The business’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.24 earnings per share. Analysts predict that East West Bancorp, Inc. will post 10.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

East West Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Monday, August 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 3rd. East West Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.77%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On East West Bancorp

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of EWBC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of East West Bancorp by 66.9% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 801 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 321 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in East West Bancorp in the second quarter worth about $274,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in East West Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $290,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in East West Bancorp by 34.3% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,223 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $325,000 after acquiring an additional 823 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of East West Bancorp by 118.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 35,335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,568,000 after acquiring an additional 19,178 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.53% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about East West Bancorp

Here are the key news stories impacting East West Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained its “Buy” rating on East West Bancorp, reinforcing the investment case for the bank and signaling continued confidence in its earnings outlook. Wells Fargo Remains a Buy on East West Bancorp
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its earnings forecasts across multiple periods. Estimates increased for third-quarter and fourth-quarter 2026 EPS to $2.66 and $2.71, respectively, while 2027 quarterly estimates were also lifted. The firm raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $11.14 from $10.58 and FY2028 EPS to $11.93 from $11.79. These revisions suggest analysts expect stronger operating performance and support the stock’s positive momentum.
• Positive Sentiment: The latest quarterly results provide additional support: East West Bancorp previously reported $2.63 in EPS and $789.98 million in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenue up 12.5% year over year. Its 30.45% net margin and 16.07% return on equity also indicate strong profitability.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was listed at zero shares as of August 11, unchanged from the prior period, with a zero-day short-interest ratio. Because the data appears anomalous, it offers little actionable information about near-term trading pressure.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of East West Bancorp in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of East West Bancorp from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on East West Bancorp from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on East West Bancorp in a research note on Monday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stephens upped their target price on East West Bancorp from $129.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.77.

East West Bancorp Company Profile

East West Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company and the parent of East West Bank, one of the largest independent banks headquartered in Southern California. As a full-service commercial bank, it provides a broad range of financial products and services to business and individual customers, including commercial and residential real estate lending, working capital lines of credit, trade finance, and deposit and treasury management services. The company caters to both large and middle-market businesses, leveraging its expertise to serve clients engaged in cross-border trade and investment between the United States and Greater China.

Founded in Los Angeles in the early 1970s, East West Bank has grown steadily through organic expansion and strategic branch openings.