Stephens Issues Positive Forecast for East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) Stock Price

East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) had its price target increased by research analysts at Stephens from $129.00 to $135.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Stephens’ price objective suggests a potential upside of 3.58% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on EWBC. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of East West Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, July 4th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of East West Bancorp from $128.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of East West Bancorp in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $150.00 target price on shares of East West Bancorp in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on East West Bancorp from $145.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $139.08.

East West Bancorp Price Performance

East West Bancorp stock opened at $130.34 on Wednesday. East West Bancorp has a 52 week low of $92.67 and a 52 week high of $136.24. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $127.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $119.21. The stock has a market cap of $17.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) last issued 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 return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 29.59%.The company had revenue of $791.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $784.47 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.24 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that East West Bancorp will post 10.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Irene H. Oh sold 800 shares of East West Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.19, for a total value of $106,552.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 84,698 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,280,926.62. This trade represents a 0.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Vice Chairman Douglas Paul Krause sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total transaction of $1,235,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 46,974 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,801,289. This trade represents a 17.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 54,311 shares of company stock worth $6,784,711. Insiders own 0.94% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On East West Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in East West Bancorp by 84,090.3% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 5,311,566 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $596,967,000 after buying an additional 5,305,257 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of East West Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $199,529,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in East West Bancorp by 281.3% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,607,314 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $180,647,000 after acquiring an additional 1,185,781 shares during the period. Boston Partners increased its stake in East West Bancorp by 19.6% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,874,737 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $412,464,000 after acquiring an additional 633,649 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of East West Bancorp by 61.9% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,418,174 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $143,207,000 after purchasing an additional 542,149 shares during the last quarter. 89.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

East West Bancorp News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: EWBC reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.63, above estimates, while revenue rose to a record $791.1 million, also ahead of consensus. The beat was reinforced by a 18% year-over-year increase in EPS. Article title: East West Bancorp Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results, With Earnings Per Share Up 18% Year-Over-Year, Driven by Record Total Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record total loans and deposits at quarter-end, suggesting continued business growth and healthy funding trends, which investors often view as supportive for future net interest income. Article title: East West Bancorp Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results, With Earnings Per Share Up 18% Year-Over-Year, Driven by Record Total Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability remained strong, with ROE at 16.0%, ROA at 1.75%, and book value per share up 13% year over year, all of which reinforce the company’s solid operating performance. Article title: East West Bancorp Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results, With Earnings Per Share Up 18% Year-Over-Year, Driven by Record Total Revenue
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated a Hold rating and kept its $131 price target, saying healthy deposit and net interest income trends are being offset by valuation concerns. Article title: East West Bancorp: Healthy Deposit and NII Trends Offset by Valuation; Hold Rating Reiterated with Unchanged $131 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Other analyst coverage remains broadly constructive, with consensus still showing a Moderate Buy, but no new bullish target change was announced. Article title: East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

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.