FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Research Alert: CFRA Maintains Strong Buy Opinion On Shares Of East West Bancorp, Inc.

-- CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:

We raise our 12-month target price by $10 to $165, 14.5x our 2027 EPS estimate, a wider risk premium than the peer average of 10.0x given demographic advantages and expected market share gains. We raise our 2026 EPS view by $0.32 to $10.73 and increase 2027's by $0.26 to $11.36. Our revenue estimates are $3.2 billion and $3.4 billion, respectively. EWBC shares justifiably reached a record high today, driven by the bank's continued outperformance in loan and deposit growth versus industry peers. Management's guidance was especially positive and notably was unaffected by the Iran conflict. In fact, EWBC raised its 2026 net interest income outlook by 100 bps to 6%-8% growth, while simultaneously lowering its expected net charge-offs by 5 bps to 15-25 bps. Still, despite strong credit quality and a track record of EPS growth exceeding peers, EWBC maintains a defensive position for a potential economic downturn, supported by robust capital levels and a strengthened loan loss reserve.

Related Articles

Insider Trading

Pricesmart Insider Sold Shares Worth $3,213,884, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Robert E Price, 10% Owner, Director, on April 22, 2026, sold 20,000 shares in Pricesmart (PSMT) for $3,213,884. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Price has control over a total of 1,667,047 common shares of the company, with 80 shares held directly and 1,666,967 controlled indirectly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1041803/000119312526176764/xslF345X05/ownership.xmlPrice: $163.33, Change: $+1.18, Percent Change: +0.73%

$PSMT
Sectors

Update: WTI Oil Falls as a Report Says Peace Talks Between the U.S. and Iran May Resume

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil fell on Friday following a report that said Pakistani officials expect another round of talks between the United States and Iran.WTI crude oil for June delivery closed down US$1.45 to settle at US$94.40 per barrel, while June Brent oil was last seen up US$0.15 to US$105.22.Bloomberg News reported Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and a team of negotiators are expected to arrive in Islamabad late on Friday for talks with a U.S. delegation already in place. The Wall Street Journal said U.S negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel the Pakistan capital for the talks that could re-open the Strait of Hormuz.The Strait is the chokepoint for exports from Persian Gulf nations, which supplied 20% of daily oil demand prior to the Feb. 28 start to the war, which also trapped shipments of of diesel and jet fuel, as well as petrochemical feedstocks and fertilizers."What began as a crude oil supply shock linked to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has now broadened into a multi-commodity disruption. The implications are no longer confined to energy markets alone but are spreading into industrial production, transportation, and ultimately agriculture and food price," Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, wrote.Still, a quick end to the war is unlikely to produce a quick end the largest-ever energy supply shock. The U.S. Pentagon on Thursday warned it may take six months to clear mines laid in the Strait, the Washington Post reported on Thursday."That is a completely different timescale from what the financial market is pricing. Even a political deal tomorrow does not immediately reopen the strait," Ole Hvalbye, a commodities analyst at SEB Research, wrote.

$CLM6$LCOM6$USO
Australia

Update: MaxLinear Shares Jump After Q1 Financial Results

(Updates with the latest stock movement in the first paragraph and headline.)MaxLinear (MXL) shares were up roughly 75% in Friday trading after the company posted a swing to Q1 adjusted earnings and higher revenue in addition to issuing higher-than-expected Q2 sales guidance on Thursday.The company reported Q1 adjusted earnings late Thursday of $0.22 per diluted share, swinging from a loss of $0.05 a year earlier.Analysts polled by FactSet expected EPS of $0.18.Revenue for the three months ended March 31 was $137.2 million, up from $95.9 million a year earlier.Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $134.6 million.For Q2, the company expects revenue of $160 million to $170 million. Analysts expect $137.1 million.The company also amended its credit agreement with certain lenders to extend the maturity of the revolving credit facility to March 2028 and also increased the amount available under the facility to $130 million.Price: $59.93, Change: $+25.68, Percent Change: +74.98%

$MXL