Hope Bancorp

Hope Bancorp Inc receives a 3-star quantitative star rating, reflecting our opinion that this share class is a balanced choice, but prudent investors should consider looking elsewhere. The stock currently trades at a 6% discount to our quantitative fair value estimate of $14.36 per share; however, caution is warranted due to this estimate's high uncertainty rating.

The company's valuation metrics strengthen our estimated fair value. A company's valuation metrics provide insights into the market's expectations for its future growth and profitability. For example, the firm's book value yield of 131.4% sits in the top 20% compared with peers globally. The market price is low relative to the book (accounting) value of the company's equity, which contributes to our view that shares are undervalued.

Conversely, the firm's lack of growth is potentially concerning. Stagnant revenue and earnings growth indicates a company's challenges in increasing market share and profitability. The firm's EPS 3-year growth of -9.4%, for example, sits in the bottom 20% globally. The last few years of EPS have been disappointing and suggest an unfavorable direction for shares. Despite our favorable price/fair value ratio, this characteristic is a negative attribute.

In addition to the aforementioned drivers, our model considers momentum as part of its comprehensive analysis. This share class has outperformed the broader universe over the past year. While we believe the stock is undervalued, this outperformance had a negative impact on our valuation estimate.

The company's quantitative economic moat rating of none suggests any excess returns could erode quickly as competition arrives. However, its financial health score is strong, suggesting that the company should be well positioned to weather tough times.