EWBC vs FBNC Stock Comparison

Compare EWBC and FBNC across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.

Market data as of Sep 6, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 0 points
EWBC
Financial Services
vs
FBNC
Financial Services
EWBC
East West Bancorp, Inc.
Price
$131
Day move
+0.12%
AIQ Score
53/100
Best edge
Value
Sector
Financial Services
FBNC
First Bancorp
Price
$65.04
Day move
+1.09%
AIQ Score
53/100
Best edge
Momentum
Sector
Financial Services

What is the main difference between EWBC and FBNC?

EWBC and FBNC are close on the current AIQ evidence, so the better fit depends more on objective, risk tolerance and valuation preference than on a single headline score.

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

East West Bancorp, Inc. vs First Bancorp

Data as of Sep 6, 2026· market close· Financial Services· Coverage 66/66 fields· High confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 2/10

EWBC and FBNC are effectively level

EWBC and FBNC are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Evidence agreement: 2 of 6Comparison trend: Stable
EWBC

East West Bancorp, Inc.

AIQ Score
53/100
AIQ Edge Score
5/10
FBNC

First Bancorp

AIQ Score
53/100
AIQ Edge Score
5/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate EWBC and FBNC as of Sep 6, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Compare East West Bancorp, Inc. and First Bancorp across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

Performance over time

Price-return comparison using available daily close history.

EWBC
+81.4%
FBNC
+61.0%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000

EWBC $18,142 · FBNC $16,095

Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.

Compare EWBC and FBNC against another ticker

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AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

EWBC advantage
0
FBNC advantage
  • Momentum25%35 vs 57
    FBNC +22
  • Value30%47 vs 31
    EWBC +16
  • Risk Resilience15%66 vs 62
    EWBC +4
  • Quality30%68 vs 66
    Even

Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-05, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-04.

EWBC0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

FBNC0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — EWBC and FBNC both carry a full feed there.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

Even

Neither separates on the overall score.

Growth

EWBC

EWBC on combined revenue and EPS growth.

Value

EWBC

EWBC on the peer-relative Value factor, by 16 points.

Momentum

FBNC

FBNC on the Momentum factor, by 22 points.

Lower downside

EWBC

EWBC on Risk Resilience, by 4 points.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ vs Wall Street

Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.

MeasureEWBCFBNCNote
Implied upside to target+8.4%+7.6%Level
Target dispersion+22.6%+14.3%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuyBuyContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering82Higher coverage generally improves confidence

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreEven53 vs 53
FundamentalsEWBCon balancerevenue growth 2.4% vs -86.5%; EPS growth 2.3% vs 8%; TTM ROE 16.2% vs 8%; gross margin 62.2% vs 63.6%; operating margin 39.4% vs 11.1% — EWBC takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them
ValuationEWBCValue 47 vs 31
TechnicalsFBNCPrice vs 50-day -0.4% vs 1.3%; vs 200-day 9% vs 11%
Risk ResilienceEWBCRisk Resilience 66 vs 62
Analyst expectationsEvenTarget upside 8.4% vs 7.6%

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • Only 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 24 Sep 5

EWBC lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 0 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 24EWBC leads above the line · FBNC leads belowSep 5
Today
Level
53 vs 53
7 sessions ago
Level
50 vs 50
30 sessions ago
EWBC +2
62 vs 60
90 sessions ago
FBNC +3
56 vs 59

The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Aug 27 when EWBC moved ahead of FBNC.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

EWBCConflicted

1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (9.49%)
  • MACD Bearish Crossover bearish, momentum, short horizon
FBNCConflicted

3 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (9.60%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • 52-Week High Proximity bullish, risk, long horizon (2.4%)

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

EWBCNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.12%, AIQ 0 points).

FBNCNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +1.09%, AIQ 0 points).

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Fundamentals

EWBC leads on balance
MetricEWBCFBNC
Revenue growth (YoY)2.4%-86.5%
EPS growth (YoY)2.3%8%
Gross margin62.2%63.6%
Operating margin39.4%11.1%
Return on equity (TTM)16.2%8%
Debt to equity0.430.04

Performance

FBNC leads 4 of 6 windows
MetricEWBCFBNC
1 week (5 sessions)1%1.6%
1 month (20 sessions)-0.7%0.6%
3 months (63 sessions)3.8%9.7%
6 months (126 sessions)23%16.3%
Year to date16.4%28.1%
1 year (252 sessions)22.8%19.1%

Technicals

FBNC has the stronger structure
MetricEWBCFBNC
RSI (14)35.144.3
ADX (14)15.516.6
Price vs 50-day-0.4%1.3%
Price vs 200-day9%11%
Volatility (1M, annualized)18.9%19.3%

Risk

EWBC is the more resilient
MetricEWBCFBNC
Beta0.810.64
Sharpe ratio0.720.58
Sortino ratio0.980.81
Max drawdown-15.7%-16.6%
Current drawdown-4.3%-2%
Annualized volatility24.8%26.5%
Value at risk (95%)-2.1%-2.5%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which has more analyst upside, EWBC or FBNC?

Analyst price targets imply +8.4% upside for EWBC and +7.6% for FBNC. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, EWBC or FBNC?

EWBC is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. EWBC on the peer-relative Value factor, by 16 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, EWBC or FBNC?

EWBC on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, EWBC or FBNC?

FBNC on the Momentum factor, by 22 points. Momentum carries 25% of the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, EWBC or FBNC?

EWBC is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. EWBC on Risk Resilience, by 4 points. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is EWBC more profitable than FBNC?

The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 62.2% vs 63.6%; operating margin 39.4% vs 11.1%; ttm roe 16.2% vs 8%. EWBC leads on two measures and FBNC on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.

What do the current signals say about EWBC and FBNC?

EWBC: 1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. FBNC: 3 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on EWBC is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On FBNC it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Compare EWBC and FBNC with others

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.