East West Bancorp(US:EWBC) ZACKSยท2025-04-28 16:50Company Overview - East West Bancorp (EWBC) is headquartered in Pasadena and has experienced a price change of -10.97% this year [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.6 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.81%, which is lower than the Banks - West industry's yield of 3.33% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.65% [3] Dividend Performance - The current annualized dividend of $2.40 represents a 9.1% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the past 5 years, East West Bancorp has increased its dividend 5 times, achieving an average annual increase of 18.60% [4] - The company's payout ratio is currently 29%, indicating that it paid out 29% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EWBC's earnings for 2025 is $8.74 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 5.30% [5] Investment Considerations - EWBC is considered a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend profile and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7] - The company is positioned as a strong dividend play, appealing to income investors despite the general trend of high-yielding stocks struggling during periods of rising interest rates [7]