UBS Group AG Acquires 32,970 Shares of East West Bancorp, Inc. $EWBC

Key Points

• UBS Group AG increased its stake in East West Bancorp by 6.1% in Q4, buying 32,970 shares to hold 570,191 shares worth about $64.08 million (≈0.41% ownership).
• Multiple analysts raised price targets (e.g., DA Davidson to $140 and UBS to $138), leaving a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $132.36.
• East West Bancorp declared a quarterly dividend of $0.80 (annualized $3.20) with an ex-dividend/record date of May 4 and a payment on May 18, implying a yield of about 2.6%.

UBS Group AG raised its holdings in shares of East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC - Free Report) by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 570,191 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 32,970 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned 0.41% of East West Bancorp worth $64,084,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of East West Bancorp during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of East West Bancorp during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of East West Bancorp by 115.0% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 344 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of East West Bancorp during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its position in shares of East West Bancorp by 44.7% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 366 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.53% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on EWBC shares. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of East West Bancorp from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of East West Bancorp from $131.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $133.00 price target on shares of East West Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of East West Bancorp from $125.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of East West Bancorp from $120.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $132.36.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Archana Deskus sold 1,800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,661,152.05. This trade represents a 11.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Dominic Ng sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.82, for a total transaction of $5,891,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 808,331 shares in the company, valued at $95,237,558.42. This represents a 5.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 62,021 shares of company stock valued at $7,365,277 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.94% of the company's stock.

East West Bancorp Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of EWBC stock opened at $123.42 on Tuesday. East West Bancorp, Inc. has a 12-month low of $86.21 and a 12-month high of $127.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm's 50 day moving average is $112.48 and its 200 day moving average is $111.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.97.

East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.11. East West Bancorp had a net margin of 29.59% and a return on equity of 16.00%. The company had revenue of $773.75 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $767.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.08 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that East West Bancorp, Inc. will post 10.57 earnings per share for the current year.

East West Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 18th. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 4th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. East West Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.97%.

East West Bancorp 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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