East West Bancorp (EWBC) Could Be a Great Choice

Company Overview - East West Bancorp (EWBC) is based in Pasadena and operates in the Finance sector, with a year-to-date share price change of 2.58% [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.6 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.44%, which is lower than the Banks - West industry's yield of 2.87% and higher than the S&P 500's yield of 1.52% [3] Dividend Performance - The annualized dividend of East West Bancorp is$ 2.40, reflecting a 9.1% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the past five years, the company has raised its dividend four times, achieving an average annual increase of 18.47% [4] - The current payout ratio is 26%, indicating that the company distributes 26% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for East West Bancorp's earnings in 2025 is $8.85 per share, which represents a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 6.63% [5] Investment Considerations - East West Bancorp is considered a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend profile and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7]