FY2026 EPS Estimate for East West Bancorp Lifted by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised East West Bancorp’s FY2026 EPS estimate to $10.57 from $10.40, close to the $10.59 consensus forecast. The analyst also lifted its FY2027 and FY2028 projections.
• East West Bancorp’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $2.63 versus the $2.61 consensus and revenue of $789.98 million. Revenue increased 12.5% year over year, while net margin was 30.45% and return on equity was 16.07%.
• The stock had a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with analysts’ average price target at $141.77, while shares opened at $135.05. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.80 per share, representing a 2.4% yield.

East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for East West Bancorp in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $10.57 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $10.40. The consensus estimate for East West Bancorp's current full-year earnings is $10.59 per share.

East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.61 by $0.02. East West Bancorp had a net margin of 30.45% and a return on equity of 16.07%. The company had revenue of $789.98 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $784.47 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.24 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

EWBC has been the topic of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of East West Bancorp in a research note on Monday. They set an "overweight" rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of East West Bancorp from $125.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of East West Bancorp in a report on Friday, July 10th. Barclays raised their price target on East West Bancorp from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on East West Bancorp from $137.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $141.77.

East West Bancorp Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of EWBC stock opened at $135.05 on Thursday. East West Bancorp has a 12-month low of $92.67 and a 12-month high of $136.24. The company has a market capitalization of $18.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $130.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $121.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EWBC. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of East West Bancorp in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. bought a new stake in East West Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $410,000. Globeflex Capital L P bought a new stake in East West Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $207,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in East West Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $245,000. Finally, Commerce Bank acquired a new position in East West Bancorp in the second quarter valued at about $2,054,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.53% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at East West Bancorp

In other East West Bancorp news, insider Irene H. Oh sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.19, for a total value of $106,552.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 84,698 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,280,926.62. This trade represents a 0.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jack C. Liu sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.02, for a total transaction of $135,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 13,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,850,989.18. The trade was a 6.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 33,511 shares of company stock worth $4,312,741 in the last quarter. 0.94% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

East West Bancorp Dividend Announcement

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

East West Bancorp News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $10.57 from $10.40, bringing the forecast closer to the $10.59 consensus. The firm also increased estimates across several quarters and lifted its FY2027 forecast to $11.14 from $10.58 and FY2028 forecast to $11.93 from $11.79. The broad upward revision suggests stronger expected profitability and is likely supporting investor sentiment.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained a Buy rating on EWBC. Continued support from a major research firm reinforces the positive analyst outlook and may help sustain buying interest. Wells Fargo Remains a Buy on East West Bancorp
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was listed at zero shares, unchanged from the prior period. Because the data shows a zero short-interest ratio, it provides little actionable information about near-term trading pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Jack C. Liu sold 1,000 EWBC shares at an average price of $135.02 for approximately $135,020. He retained 13,709 shares, so the transaction was relatively small, but insider selling can weigh modestly on sentiment. East West Bancorp insider transaction filing

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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