Jack C. Liu Sells 1,275 Shares of East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC) Stock

East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC) Director Jack C. Liu sold 1,275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $133,275.75. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,557 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,521,643.21. The trade was a 8.05 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

East West Bancorp Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ EWBC opened at $102.97 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $101.17 and its 200 day moving average is $91.86. East West Bancorp, Inc. has a 52 week low of $67.27 and a 52 week high of $113.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market cap of $14.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.36, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.30.

East West Bancorp Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 3rd will be given a $0.60 dividend. This is a boost from East West Bancorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 3rd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.33%. East West Bancorp’s payout ratio is presently 26.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on EWBC. Barclays cut their price target on shares of East West Bancorp from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 24th. StockNews.com lowered shares of East West Bancorp from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup raised their price target on East West Bancorp from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Wedbush upped their price objective on East West Bancorp from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on East West Bancorp from $100.00 to $97.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $110.38.

Institutional Trading of East West Bancorp

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EWBC. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in East West Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of East West Bancorp during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of East West Bancorp by 362.8% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 361 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 283 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in East West Bancorp by 73.2% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 414 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, Tobam boosted its holdings in East West Bancorp by 131.7% in the third quarter. Tobam now owns 482 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. 89.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

East West Bancorp Company Profile

East West Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for East West Bank that provides a range of personal and commercial banking services to businesses and individuals in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Consumer and Business Banking, Commercial Banking, and Other.