First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Hovde Group Analyst Says

First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP) had its price objective hoisted by investment analysts at Hovde Group from $25.00 to $26.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the bank’s stock. Hovde Group’s target price suggests a potential upside of 17.51% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of First BanCorp. in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on First BanCorp. from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $24.00 target price (down previously from $26.00) on shares of First BanCorp. in a report on Monday, October 27th. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of First BanCorp. in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $23.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group set a $25.00 price target on shares of First BanCorp. in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $24.42.

First BanCorp. Trading Up 1.1%

FBP opened at $22.13 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.81. First BanCorp. has a one year low of $16.40 and a one year high of $22.60. The company has a market cap of $3.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.29, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $20.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.11.

First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $257.17 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $256.18 million. First BanCorp. had a return on equity of 17.33% and a net margin of 27.48%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.46 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that First BanCorp. will post 1.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First BanCorp. news, EVP Michael Mcdonald sold 34,122 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.11, for a total value of $754,437.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 62,937 shares in the company, valued at $1,391,537.07. This represents a 35.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First BanCorp.

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in FBP. Choreo LLC boosted its stake in First BanCorp. by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 11,061 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First BanCorp. by 4.1% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,013 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $287,000 after buying an additional 508 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First BanCorp. by 5.1% in the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,806 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 526 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in First BanCorp. by 0.4% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 151,294 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $3,151,000 after buying an additional 529 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in First BanCorp. by 4.1% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 14,217 shares of the bank’s stock worth $313,000 after acquiring an additional 557 shares during the period. 97.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting First BanCorp.

Here are the key news stories impacting First BanCorp. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and strong metrics — FBP reported Q4 EPS of $0.55 (vs. $0.52 est.) and revenue modestly above expectations; management highlighted healthy margins and ROE, which supports the rally. FBP Exceeds Q4 CY2025 Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder-friendly capital actions — coverage notes a dividend increase and share buybacks after record results, improving yield and total-return prospects for investors. A Look At First BanCorp Valuation After Record Results Dividend Hike And Share Buybacks
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target increases — several firms raised targets (Truist to $25 with a Buy; Hovde to $26 Outperform; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods to $24.50 Market Perform), signaling visible upside from current levels and supporting buying interest. Truist price target raise to $25
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance and strategy — management outlined a 3–5% organic loan growth target and a “100% earnings return” strategy (capital returned to shareholders). Positive for yield but execution and macro sensitivity create uncertainty. First BanCorp outlines growth and earnings-return strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Call/transcript coverage — earnings call highlights and analyst discussion provide detail on deposit trends, credit quality and capital deployment; useful for investors but not an immediate catalyst beyond the quarter. Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — EVP Michael McDonald sold 34,122 shares (~35% reduction of his position) at an average $22.11. While insider sales can be routine, the size of the reduction may raise short-term investor caution. SEC filing for insider sale

First BanCorp. Company Profile

First BanCorp (NYSE: FBP) is a financial holding company headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Through its principal banking subsidiary, FirstBank Puerto Rico, the company offers a comprehensive range of banking services including commercial and consumer lending, deposit products, cash management solutions and treasury services. It also provides mortgage origination and servicing, equipment leasing, investment management, and insurance agency services.

In its commercial banking segment, First BanCorp serves small and midsize enterprises as well as large corporate clients, delivering tailored credit facilities, letters of credit, and foreign trade financing.