East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC) is one of the 11 Best American Bank Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. On March 3, Bank of America named its top picks in the banking sector, which included East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC).

Bank of America also set price targets for nine financial institutions based on expected earnings for fiscal year 2026 and tangible book value estimates. For East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC), it has a price target of $140, based on a valuation of 14 times its projected fiscal 2026 earnings and 2 times tangible book value by the end of 2026. This valuation is lower than pre-pandemic medians because of increased uncertainty around earnings and returns.

In other news, on March 2, Morgan Stanley increased its price target on East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC) from $126 to $141 and kept its Equal Weight rating on the stock.

The research firm raised its price targets for mid-cap banks by a median of 8%. Morgan Stanley pointed out that recent strong performance means โ€œthe bar is higher from here.โ€ The research firm said it remains positive about the sector, pointing to tailwinds from loan growth, net interest margins, and capital returns.

East West Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:EWBC) is an American bank holding company. East West Bank, the companyโ€™s wholly-owned subsidiary, is the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California, operating more than 110 locations in the US and Asia.

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