Natixis Advisors LLC Acquires 17,486 Shares of East West Bancorp, Inc. $EWBC

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its East West Bancorp stake by 9.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 17,486 shares and bringing its total holding to 199,658 shares worth about $22.4 million.
• East West Bancorp reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.57 beating estimates and revenue rising 11.8% year over year to $773.75 million. The company also posted a 16.0% return on equity.
• The bank declared a quarterly dividend of $0.80 per share, equal to an annualized yield of 2.5%, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus price target of $133.69.

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC - Free Report) by 9.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 199,658 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 17,486 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.15% of East West Bancorp worth $22,440,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of EWBC. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in East West Bancorp by 66.9% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 801 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of East West Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at about $274,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of East West Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at about $290,000. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 823 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $3,568,000 after purchasing an additional 19,178 shares during the period. 89.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

East West Bancorp Stock Up 0.6%

EWBC stock opened at $125.94 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $119.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $114.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. East West Bancorp, Inc. has a twelve month low of $90.79 and a twelve month high of $127.51. The stock has a market cap of $17.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.58, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.94.

East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.11. East West Bancorp had a return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 29.59%.The company had revenue of $773.75 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $767.80 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.08 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that East West Bancorp, Inc. will post 10.6 EPS for the current year.

East West Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 18th. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th were issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 4th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. East West Bancorp's payout ratio is currently 31.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other East West Bancorp news, Director Archana Deskus sold 1,800 shares of East West Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.55, for a total value of $225,990.00. Following the sale, the director owned 13,231 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,661,152.05. The trade was a 11.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Vice Chairman Douglas Paul Krause sold 10,000 shares of East West Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $1,235,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 46,974 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,801,289. The trade was a 17.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 41,800 shares of company stock valued at $5,165,690. Corporate insiders own 0.94% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on EWBC shares. Truist Financial boosted their price target on East West Bancorp from $120.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on East West Bancorp from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Citigroup boosted their price target on East West Bancorp from $139.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. DA Davidson boosted their price target on East West Bancorp from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on East West Bancorp from $141.00 to $128.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $133.69.

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.

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