Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.48 EPS

Key Points

• Popular reported Q1 EPS of $3.78, beating consensus by $0.48 while revenue missed at $822.6M versus $866.5M, and management raised net interest income guidance toward the high end of its 5%–7% range driven by margin expansion and lower operating expenses.
• Deposits strengthened to $67.6 billion and deposit costs fell; the bank repurchased $155 million of stock and announced further capital actions, including a potential dividend increase this year.
• Credit metrics were mixed: NPLs improved to 1.17% and ROTCE rose (to ~15.5%), but quarterly net charge-offs increased to $60M (61 bps) largely from one commercial relationship, with 2026 net charge-off guidance reiterated at 55–70 bps.

Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The bank reported $3.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.30 by $0.48, Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $822.63 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $866.54 million. Popular had a net margin of 18.75% and a return on equity of 13.70%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.56 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Popular's conference call:

• Reported strong quarter with net income of $246 million and EPS of $3.78, driven by higher net interest income, margin expansion and lower operating expenses; ROTCE improved to 15.5% and management raised NII guidance toward the high end of its 5%–7% range.
• Deposits strengthened to $67.6 billion (Puerto Rico public deposits at $19.7 billion) and deposit costs fell, while the company repurchased $155 million of stock and plans further capital actions and a potential dividend increase this year.
• Credit trends remain broadly favorable with NPLs down and the NPL ratio improving to 1.17%, though quarterly net charge-offs rose to $60 million (61 bps) largely from a single commercial relationship; 2026 net charge-off guidance is reiterated at 55–70 bps.
• Operating expenses declined to $467 million driven by lower personnel and seasonal costs, management still plans to invest in technology and transformation while trimming full‑year expense growth guidance to ~2%–3%.

Popular Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ BPOP opened at $149.27 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $9.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.59. Popular has a 12-month low of $92.93 and a 12-month high of $151.99. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $138.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $128.14.

Popular Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 18th were given a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 18th. Popular's dividend payout ratio is presently 24.35%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Alejandro M. Ballester sold 2,360 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.50, for a total transaction of $312,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 57,449 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,611,992.50. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Alejandro M. Sanchez sold 1,451 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.85, for a total transaction of $204,373.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 3,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $481,002.75. This trade represents a 29.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Popular in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new position in shares of Popular during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Popular by 70.8% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 246 shares of the bank's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in Popular in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Popular in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors own 87.27% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on BPOP shares. Zacks Research cut Popular from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Bank of America upgraded Popular from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $156.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Piper Sandler started coverage on Popular in a report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $152.00 price target for the company. Hovde Group upped their price target on Popular from $153.00 to $176.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Popular from $153.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $161.18.

Key Headlines Impacting Popular

Here are the key news stories impacting Popular this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Popular reported Q1 EPS of $3.78, beating consensus of $3.54 and showing strong year‑over‑year earnings improvement, which is the main driver behind the stock’s upward move. Popular stock rises 2% on exceeding profit forecasts, despite revenue miss
• Positive Sentiment: Management reported strong net income ($245.7M) and healthy profitability ratios (net margin ~18.8%, ROE ~13.7%), supporting investor confidence in core earnings power. Popular reports strong first-quarter 2026 financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst writeups highlight that key metrics outperformed expectations on the bottom line and provide context on estimates vs. actuals, which helps explain upward analyst/market reaction. Popular (BPOP) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Quick earnings snapshot and analyst commentary summaries are available for investors who want a concise recap of the quarter and conference call highlights. Popular: Q1 Earnings Snapshot
• Neutral Sentiment: Some outlets characterize revenue as “in line” with expectations (others call it a slight miss), so top‑line trends are mixed; investors should review the slide deck/call for segment-level detail. Popular’s NASDAQ: BPOP Q1 CY2026 earnings results: Revenue in line with expectations
• Negative Sentiment: While profit beat was the headline, some coverage notes a revenue miss; if revenue growth remains tepid this could cap multiple expansion and warrants watching upcoming guidance and loan/deposit trends. Popular stock rises 2% on exceeding profit forecasts, despite revenue miss

Popular Company Profile

Popular, Inc, headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a financial holding company and a leading provider of banking services in the United States mainland and Puerto Rico. Through its primary subsidiaries—Banco Popular de Puerto Rico and Popular Bank—the company delivers comprehensive commercial and consumer banking solutions. It offers deposit products, lending facilities, cash management services and payment-processing solutions designed for individuals, small businesses and large corporations.

The company's product suite encompasses checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, residential and commercial mortgage loans, business lines of credit and credit cards.