Key Points
- Insider selling: EVP Gary Teo sold 7,000 shares at an average of $122.59 for $858,130 (reducing his stake by 57.13% to 5,252 shares), and CEO Dominic Ng plus other insiders also sold shares this week, a move that could weigh on market sentiment if unexplained.
- Dividend increase and earnings beat: East West raised its quarterly dividend from $0.60 to $0.80 (annualized $3.20, ~2.6% yield) and reported Q results of $2.52 EPS vs. $2.48 expected with revenue of $754.9M vs. $745M consensus, indicating solid cash generation and near-term earnings strength.
- Valuation and ownership context: EWBC trades near its 52-week high with a market cap of ~$16.85B and a P/E of 12.87, has a consensus analyst target around $128, and is heavily institutionally owned (~89.5%).
East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC - Get Free Report) Director Molly Campbell sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.81, for a total transaction of $221,058.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 5,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $706,894.36. This represents a 23.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.
Molly Campbell also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, November 24th, Molly Campbell sold 1,520 shares of East West Bancorp stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.73, for a total transaction of $159,189.60.
- On Tuesday, November 11th, Molly Campbell sold 1,000 shares of East West Bancorp stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.40, for a total value of $105,400.00.
East West Bancorp Stock Performance
East West Bancorp stock opened at $122.50 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market cap of $16.85 billion, a PE ratio of 12.87, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.92. The company's 50-day moving average is $114.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.42. East West Bancorp, Inc. has a 1 year low of $68.27 and a 1 year high of $123.22.
East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.04. East West Bancorp had a net margin of 28.36% and a return on equity of 15.72%. The firm had revenue of $754.92 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $745.04 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.10 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that East West Bancorp, Inc. will post 8.85 earnings per share for the current year.
East West Bancorp Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 2nd. This is a positive change from East West Bancorp's previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. East West Bancorp's payout ratio is 33.61%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EWBC. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of East West Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in shares of East West Bancorp during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in East West Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its holdings in East West Bancorp by 127.6% in the second quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 346 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of East West Bancorp by 82.6% in the 3rd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 336 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. 89.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about East West Bancorp
Here are the key news stories impacting East West Bancorp this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.80 (from $0.60), payable Feb. 17; annualized $3.20 and ~2.6–2.7% yield — a direct return to shareholders and signal of confidence in cash generation. Dividend & Company Update
- Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations: $2.52 EPS vs. $2.48 expected and revenue of $754.9M vs. $745M consensus — improves near-term earnings credibility and supports valuation multiples. Earnings Release
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive: multiple buy/overweight ratings and price-target increases (consensus target ~ $128) — supports upside narrative and may attract momentum buyers. Analyst Notes
- Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership is high (~89.5%) and recent small fund flows show mixed adds and new positions — indicates largely stable long-term holder base but limited incremental catalyst from new institutional buying. Institutional Activity
- Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest data appears effectively zero/immaterial in the latest snapshot — low short activity reduces risk of squeeze-driven volatility but also limits short-covering as a price tailwind. Short Interest Note
- Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling this week: CEO Dominic Ng sold 50,000 shares (~$5.9M at ~$117.82) and other insiders (EVP Gary Teo, Director Jack Liu, Director Molly Campbell) also reduced holdings — large insider sales can be read by the market as liquidity-taking and may weigh on sentiment if not explained (e.g., diversification, tax planning). CEO Form 4 EVP Form 4 Director Form 4 Director Form 4
Analyst Ratings Changes
EWBC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded East West Bancorp from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, October 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on East West Bancorp in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $133.00 price target for the company. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of East West Bancorp from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. UBS Group set a $125.00 target price on East West Bancorp in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of East West Bancorp from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.14.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on East West Bancorp
About East West Bancorp
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading

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