Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP) Stock

First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP) had its target price boosted by stock analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $24.00 to $24.50 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “market perform” rating on the bank’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target suggests a potential upside of 12.26% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also commented on FBP. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of First BanCorp. from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Hovde Group increased their target price on shares of First BanCorp. from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of First BanCorp. in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $23.00 target price for the company. UBS Group set a $25.00 price target on First BanCorp. in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on First BanCorp. from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 27th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $24.25.

First BanCorp. Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of FBP stock traded down $0.16 on Wednesday, hitting $21.83. The stock had a trading volume of 495,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,335,536. First BanCorp. has a one year low of $16.40 and a one year high of $22.60. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $20.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.10. The company has a market cap of $3.45 billion, a PE ratio of 10.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $257.17 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $256.18 million. First BanCorp. had a net margin of 26.73% and a return on equity of 17.45%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.46 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that First BanCorp. will post 1.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First BanCorp.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FBP. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of First BanCorp. in the second quarter valued at approximately $41,404,000. Boston Partners boosted its stake in First BanCorp. by 767.8% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,262,241 shares of the bank’s stock worth $27,832,000 after purchasing an additional 1,116,791 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its stake in First BanCorp. by 82.9% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,434,382 shares of the bank’s stock worth $29,878,000 after purchasing an additional 649,987 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of First BanCorp. by 8.9% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,541,918 shares of the bank’s stock worth $157,098,000 after buying an additional 616,170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC raised its position in shares of First BanCorp. by 31.6% in the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 2,284,146 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $50,365,000 after buying an additional 548,164 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.91% of the company’s stock.

Key First BanCorp. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — FBP reported $0.55 EPS vs. $0.52 consensus and revenue of $257.2M (vs. $256.2M est.), with strong net margin (26.7%) and ROE (17.5%), signaling resilient core performance. First BanCorp (NYSE:FBP) Exceeds Q4 CY2025 Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Management laid out 2026 targets of 3–5% organic loan growth and a plan to return 100% of earnings to shareholders — a clear capital-return commitment that supports the recent dividend hike and boosts investor confidence. First BanCorp. outlines 3–5% organic loan growth and 100% earnings return strategy for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase — FBP raised its quarterly cash dividend to $0.20 (11.1% increase), implying a ~3.6% yield and reinforcing the bank’s shareholder-friendly stance; ex-dividend date set for Feb. 26. First BanCorp. Increases Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Stock by 11% to $0.20
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price-target lift — Hovde Group raised its price target from $25 to $26 and assigned an “outperform” rating, implying meaningful upside to the current price and likely supporting buying interest.
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference materials and call transcripts published — Slide deck and earnings-call transcript are available for deeper review of credit trends, deposit dynamics, and segment details; useful for investors who want to validate sustainability of results. First BanCorp. (FBP) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst write-ups compare key metrics vs. estimates — Coverage from Zacks and others breaks down performance vs. street expectations and year-ago metrics; these analyses help gauge whether beats are one-off or sustainable. First Bancorp (FBP) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates

About First BanCorp.

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.