East West Bancorp (NASDAQ: EWBC) Stock Rating Upgrade

On February 13, 2025, East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) received a significant upgrade from StockNews.com, which changed its rating from “sell” to “hold”. This adjustment reflects a more positive outlook on the stock's performance.

In addition to StockNews.com, several other analysts have weighed in on East West Bancorp’s stock lately. Truist Financial raised its price target for EWBC from $93.00 to $101.00 and assigned a “buy” rating in their report dated October 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company followed suit, increasing their target from $105.00 to $120.00 while maintaining an “overweight” rating in their December 3rd note. On January 24th, DA Davidson adjusted their price target from $120.00 down to $118.00, still labeling the stock as a “buy”. Compass Point is another firm that increased its target, propelling it from $110.00 to $125.00 along with a “buy” recommendation on December 10th. Lastly, Citigroup also raised their price target from $103.00 to $109.00 on October 23rd, designating a “buy” rating for the stock. Currently, four analysts have a hold rating on the stock, while ten analysts rate it as a buy. According to MarketBeat, East West Bancorp has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target set at $110.38.

Current Market Performance

As of Tuesday, EWBC's stock opened at $97.11, reflecting a decrease of 1.9%. The company's market capitalization stands at $13.46 billion, with a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 11.66. The price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio is 1.36, indicating a moderate growth rate relative to its earnings. Over the past year, the stock has fluctuated, reaching a low of $68.36 and a high of $113.95. Its 50-day moving average sits at $99.75, while the 200-day moving average is $93.02. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is currently at 0.46, with a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.91, illustrating its financial stability.

Insider Trading Activity

In other developments concerning East West Bancorp, Director Jack C. Liu sold 725 shares of the company's stock on January 28th at an average price of $104.50, amounting to $75,762.50. Following this transaction, Liu retains ownership of 15,832 shares, valued at approximately $1,654,444, which indicates a decline of 4.38% in his overall ownership. Details of this transaction were disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Institutional Investments

Recently, there have been notable changes among institutional investors holding East West Bancorp shares. For instance, Norges Bank acquired a new stake worth approximately $166,590,000 in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank made a considerable move, boosting its stake by an extraordinary 1,667.7%. Now, they hold 670,156 shares valued at $64,174,000 after purchasing an additional 632,245 shares. Boston Partners also increased its stake by 23.1%, now holding 2,383,284 shares worth $228,269,000 after adding 447,057 shares. Raymond James Financial Inc. made a new investment in East West Bancorp during the same quarter worth about $32,138,000. Lastly, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake by 171.3%, now owning 384,780 shares valued at $36,847,000, thanks to the acquisition of an additional 242,928 shares. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 89.53% of the company’s stock.

About East West Bancorp

East West Bancorp, Inc. serves as the bank holding company for East West Bank. It offers a wide variety of personal and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses throughout the United States. The company operates through three main segments: Consumer and Business Banking, Commercial Banking, and Other.

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