Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Credit Suisse Group set a $156.00 price target on Popular in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Popular in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America upgraded shares of Popular from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $156.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler started coverage on Popular in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $152.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Popular in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Popular currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.73.

Popular Trading Down 0.0%

BPOP stock opened at $141.42 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $125.21 and a 200-day moving average of $121.22. Popular has a 12-month low of $78.23 and a 12-month high of $145.34. The company has a market cap of $9.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.48, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.63.

Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.36. Popular had a return on equity of 13.87% and a net margin of 18.75%.The business had revenue of $815.98 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $811.55 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.51 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Popular will post 10.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Popular

In other news, 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 value of $312,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 57,449 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,611,992.50. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Adorno Denissa Rodriguez sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.84, for a total value of $114,840.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 2,604 shares in the company, valued at $299,043.36. This trade represents a 27.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 28,360 shares of company stock worth $3,265,040 over the last quarter. 2.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Popular

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Strategic Family Wealth Counselors L.L.C. acquired a new position in Popular during the fourth quarter worth approximately $410,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al grew its stake in shares of Popular by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 28,650 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $3,567,000 after buying an additional 1,350 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd grew its stake in shares of Popular by 62.4% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 5,258 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $655,000 after buying an additional 2,020 shares during the period. D Orazio & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Popular during the 4th quarter worth $206,000. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Popular by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 187,671 shares of the bank’s stock worth $23,369,000 after buying an additional 17,148 shares during the period. 87.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Popular News

Here are the key news stories impacting Popular this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results showed strength — Popular reported $3.38 EPS vs. $3.02 expected and revenue roughly in line with estimates; the beat and healthy margins support higher earnings expectations and valuation for BPOP. InsiderTrades: Insider Buying and Selling — Popular
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Popular to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), signaling growing optimism on near-term earnings momentum — this type of rank change often attracts buy-side interest and retail flows. What Makes Popular (BPOP) a New Strong Buy Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple Zacks pieces also added BPOP to their Strong Buy/value/income lists for Feb. 4, highlighting the stock to different investor segments (value and income seekers). That coordinated coverage can boost demand. New Strong Buy Stocks for February 4th
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded Popular from Neutral to Buy and set a $156 price target ( ~10% upside from recent levels), a notable institutional endorsement that could support the stock. Finviz: analyst coverage summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published thematic pieces on Popular as a dividend/income candidate and a value pick — useful context for income-focused investors but not immediate drivers by themselves. Why Popular (BPOP) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent personal-finance/Fool headline in the feed appears to cover a different “once-popular growth” stock (not BPOP) and is not directly relevant to Popular investors. Is This Once-Popular Growth Stock Finally Worth a Second Look in 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Director Alejandro Ballester sold 2,360 shares (~$312.7k) late January; several outlets flagged the trade. While the sale is small relative to his remaining stake, markets often react negatively to notable insider disposals. Alejandro Ballester Sells 2,360 Shares of Popular (NASDAQ:BPOP) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of the insider unload was amplified by sites like TipRanks, which may increase short-term selling pressure from sentiment-sensitive traders. Top Popular Insider Quietly Unloads a Chunk of Shares

About Popular

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.