Jack Liu Sells 1,000 Shares of East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) Stock

Key Points

• Director Jack Liu sold 1,000 East West Bancorp shares at an average price of $135.02, generating $135,020 in proceeds and reducing his direct ownership by 6.8% to 13,709 shares.
• East West Bancorp reported quarterly EPS of $2.63 and revenue of $789.98 million, beating estimates, while revenue rose 12.5% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.80, equivalent to a 2.4% yield.
• Analysts maintain a positive outlook, with the stock carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $141.77; shares recently traded near their 52-week high at $135.05.

East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC - Get Free Report) Director Jack Liu sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.02, for a total transaction of $135,020.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

East West Bancorp Price Performance

East West Bancorp stock traded up $2.01 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $135.05. 635,552 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 726,598. East West Bancorp, Inc. has a 52 week low of $92.67 and a 52 week high of $136.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market cap of $18.50 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.94. The company's fifty day moving average is $130.65 and its 200-day moving average is $121.05.

East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $789.98 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $784.47 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.24 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that East West Bancorp, Inc. will post 10.59 EPS for the current year.

East West Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 3rd will be issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. East West Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.77%.

Key Headlines Impacting 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 Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on EWBC shares. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of East West Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of East West Bancorp from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of East West Bancorp from $125.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of East West Bancorp from $137.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $141.77.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On East West Bancorp

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake 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 worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of East West Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at $274,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of East West Bancorp during the 2nd quarter valued at $290,000. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in East West Bancorp by 34.3% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,223 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $325,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in East West Bancorp by 118.7% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 35,335 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,568,000 after purchasing an additional 19,178 shares during the period. 89.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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