Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on BPOP. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Popular in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $152.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Popular from $137.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America raised shares of Popular from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $156.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Popular from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Popular from $144.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.73.

Popular Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:BPOP opened at $141.42 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $125.21 and a 200-day moving average of $121.22. The firm has a market cap of $9.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.48, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.63. Popular has a twelve month low of $78.23 and a twelve month high of $145.34.

Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.36. The business had revenue of $815.98 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $811.55 million. Popular had a net margin of 18.75% and a return on equity of 13.87%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.51 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Popular will post 10.06 EPS for the current year.

Popular Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Popular’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.35%.

Insider Transactions at Popular

In related news, Director Alejandro M. Ballester sold 2,360 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.50, for a total value of $312,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 57,449 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,611,992.50. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Adorno Denissa Rodriguez sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.84, for a total transaction of $114,840.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 2,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $299,043.36. This trade represents a 27.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 28,360 shares of company stock valued at $3,265,040 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 2.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Popular

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BPOP. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Popular by 23.1% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 94,352 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $8,715,000 after buying an additional 17,729 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Popular during the 1st quarter valued at about $257,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Popular by 60.6% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 223,530 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $20,647,000 after acquiring an additional 84,327 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in shares of Popular in the 1st quarter valued at about $207,000. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Popular in the second quarter worth approximately $252,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.27% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Popular

Here are the key news stories impacting Popular this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results showed strength — Popular reported $3.38 EPS vs. $3.02 expected and revenue roughly in line with estimates; the beat and healthy margins support higher earnings expectations and valuation for BPOP. InsiderTrades: Insider Buying and Selling — Popular
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Popular to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), signaling growing optimism on near-term earnings momentum — this type of rank change often attracts buy-side interest and retail flows. What Makes Popular (BPOP) a New Strong Buy Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple Zacks pieces also added BPOP to their Strong Buy/value/income lists for Feb. 4, highlighting the stock to different investor segments (value and income seekers). That coordinated coverage can boost demand. New Strong Buy Stocks for February 4th
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded Popular from Neutral to Buy and set a $156 price target ( ~10% upside from recent levels), a notable institutional endorsement that could support the stock. Finviz: analyst coverage summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published thematic pieces on Popular as a dividend/income candidate and a value pick — useful context for income-focused investors but not immediate drivers by themselves. Why Popular (BPOP) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent personal-finance/Fool headline in the feed appears to cover a different “once-popular growth” stock (not BPOP) and is not directly relevant to Popular investors. Is This Once-Popular Growth Stock Finally Worth a Second Look in 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Director Alejandro Ballester sold 2,360 shares (~$312.7k) late January; several outlets flagged the trade. While the sale is small relative to his remaining stake, markets often react negatively to notable insider disposals. Alejandro Ballester Sells 2,360 Shares of Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of the insider unload was amplified by sites like TipRanks, which may increase short-term selling pressure from sentiment-sensitive traders. Top Popular Insider Quietly Unloads a Chunk of Shares

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.