Banc of California (NYSE:BANC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume on Analyst Upgrade

Banc of California, Inc. (NYSE:BANC) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $20.50 to $22.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. 1,593,048 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 46% from the previous session’s volume of 2,945,887 shares.The stock last traded at $18.90 and had previously closed at $18.90.

Several other research firms have also commented on BANC. Barclays reduced their price target on Banc of California from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Banc of California from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Banc of California from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Banc of California in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Banc of California from $25.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $20.75.

Key Stories Impacting Banc of California

Here are the key news stories impacting Banc of California this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $22 and upgraded BANC to Overweight, implying ~17% upside from current levels — a catalyst for investor demand. Benzinga: JPMorgan raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its 2026 growth outlook and announced plans to redeem certain debt, which should improve capital structure and signal confidence in cash flow. MSN: Banc of California reaffirms 2026 growth outlook, plans debt redemption
• Positive Sentiment: Company reaffirmed 20–25% pretax pre-provision income growth and expects 3–4 bps quarterly NIM expansion — a clear operating-profitability target that supports medium-term earnings upside. MSN: Pretax pre-provision income growth reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS of $0.39 beat consensus (~$0.38) and showed year-over-year improvement, supporting valuation metrics (P/E ~14x). Yahoo Finance: Q1 earnings highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and presentation are available for investors who want line-by-line details on loan growth, deposit trends and expense outlook. Useful for modeling but not an immediate catalyst. Seeking Alpha: Earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Company-provided earnings presentation summarizes results and guidance assumptions; helpful for verifying management math and assumptions. Seeking Alpha: Earnings presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces comparing peers (e.g., Bread Financial) note solid Q1 performances across some regional names — context for sector sentiment but not specific to BANC’s valuation. MSN: Bread Financial and Banc of California post solid Q1 gains
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations in Q1, which raises questions about top-line momentum and may cap multiple expansion despite the EPS beat. Yahoo Finance: Misses Q1 sales expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and press notes highlight mixed metrics (better EPS but weaker revenue), creating uncertainty around sustainable growth versus one-time items — a reason some investors remain cautious. Zacks: Key metrics analysis

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banc of California

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. bought a new position in Banc of California in the third quarter worth about $2,054,000. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Banc of California during the third quarter valued at approximately $912,000. ARGA Investment Management LP bought a new position in shares of Banc of California during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,730,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its position in shares of Banc of California by 308.4% during the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 70,856 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,173,000 after purchasing an additional 53,506 shares during the period. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Banc of California by 338.7% in the 3rd quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 166,298 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,752,000 after purchasing an additional 128,387 shares during the last quarter. 86.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Banc of California Trading Down 0.8%

The firm has a market cap of $2.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.31 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.89. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $18.12 and a 200-day moving average of $18.55.

Banc of California (NYSE:BANC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.01. Banc of California had a return on equity of 9.25% and a net margin of 13.58%.The firm had revenue of $275.97 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $291.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.26 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Banc of California, Inc. will post 1.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Banc of California Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This is an increase from Banc of California’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Banc of California’s payout ratio is currently 40.68%.

Banc of California Company Profile

Banc of California, N.A. is a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Santa Ana, California, offering a broad spectrum of banking products and services to corporate and individual customers. The bank focuses on serving middle-market businesses, professional service firms, real estate investors and developers, and entrepreneurs throughout California. Its core offerings include deposit accounts, treasury management services, commercial real estate lending, equipment finance, lines of credit and Small Business Administration lending, complemented by cash management and online banking solutions.

Operating a network of branches and lending offices concentrated in both Southern and Northern California, Banc of California seeks to support local businesses and communities with personalized service and regional expertise.