Zacks Research lowered shares of Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP – Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.
A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on BPOP. Bank of America upgraded Popular from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $156.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group raised shares of Popular from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $142.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Popular from $153.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Hovde Group lifted their price target on shares of Popular from $153.00 to $176.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Popular from $146.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $161.18.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Popular
Popular Stock Performance
Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.36. The firm had revenue of $806.59 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $811.55 million. Popular had a return on equity of 13.70% and a net margin of 18.75%.During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.51 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Popular will post 10.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Popular Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 18th were paid a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 18th. Popular’s payout ratio is 24.35%.
Insider Activity
In other Popular news, Director Alejandro M. Sanchez sold 1,451 shares of Popular stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.85, for a total value of $204,373.35. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $481,002.75. The trade was a 29.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Alejandro M. Ballester sold 2,360 shares of Popular stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.50, for a total transaction of $312,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 57,449 shares in the company, valued at $7,611,992.50. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Popular
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Xponance LLC increased its holdings in Popular by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Xponance LLC now owns 3,892 shares of the bank’s stock worth $485,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Baron Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Popular by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,597 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $457,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its holdings in shares of Popular by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 17,000 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,171,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Popular by 70.8% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 246 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers increased its stake in shares of Popular by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,647 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,824,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.27% of the company’s stock.
Popular News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Popular this week:
- Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded Popular from “hold” to “buy” and set a $160 price target, signaling stronger analyst confidence in the stock. UBS upgrades popular (BPOP)
- Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $180 and kept an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside vs. the current price and reinforcing buy-side momentum. Barclays raises price target to $180
- Positive Sentiment: Another upgrade/coverage note (Kalkine Media) highlighted renewed investor interest in the bank sector and Popular specifically, supporting bullish flows. Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) Upgrade Sparks Nasdaq Composite Banking Focus
- Positive Sentiment: Popular announced executive leadership changes, naming Israel Velasco EVP and Head of U.S. Operations — a management move intended to support execution of the new strategic framework. Popular Inc. Announces Executive Leadership Changes
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a piece labeling Popular a top dividend stock, which can attract income-focused investors and support multiple expansion. Popular (BPOP) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?
- Neutral Sentiment: A New York Times piece on federal budget changes is macro context — potential policy shifts could indirectly affect consumer spending and banks, but it’s not Popular-specific. To Boost Military Budget, Trump Targets Popular Programs at Home
- Neutral Sentiment: An industry/interest piece on customized gifts is not company-specific and unlikely to move Popular’s stock materially. The Popularity of Customized Gifts
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Popular from “strong-buy” to “hold,” a cautionary analyst signal that may cap upside or prompt some profit-taking by short-term holders. Zacks Research downgrade
Popular Company Profile
Popular, Inc, headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a financial holding company and a leading provider of banking services in the United States mainland and Puerto Rico. Through its primary subsidiaries—Banco Popular de Puerto Rico and Popular Bank—the company delivers comprehensive commercial and consumer banking solutions. It offers deposit products, lending facilities, cash management services and payment-processing solutions designed for individuals, small businesses and large corporations.
The company’s product suite encompasses checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, residential and commercial mortgage loans, business lines of credit and credit cards.
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