Hope Bancorp to Acquire SMBC MANUBANK Commercial Banking Unit

Hope Bancorp ( (HOPE) ) has provided an update.

On March 31, 2026, Hope Bancorp announced that its subsidiary Bank of Hope agreed to acquire the Commercial Banking Unit of SMBC MANUBANK in an all-cash deal that will transfer about $2.5 billion in loans, $2.7 billion in deposits and eight Southern California branches focused on the greater Los Angeles area. The Commercial Banking Unit’s businesses, including a Japanese Banking Division, diversified middle-market lending, franchise finance, commercial real estate, SBA lending and specialty deposits, dovetail with Bank of Hope’s Korean Subsidiary Group and are expected to deepen its presence in Los Angeles while creating a differentiated platform for Asian multinational and middle-market clients across the U.S. and Hawaii.

Hope Bancorp expects the transaction, which received unanimous board approvals and is slated to close in the second half of 2026 pending regulatory clearance, to lower funding costs and diversify its core deposits, with a strong mix of noninterest-bearing demand balances and limited time deposits. Management projects the deal will add attractive balance-sheet growth, enhance profitability and capital efficiency, and be meaningfully accretive to earnings per share by 2027, reinforcing the bank’s strategy of expanding commercial capabilities and positioning it as a premier banking partner to middle-market customers from Asia in the U.S. market.

The most recent analyst rating on (HOPE) stock is a Hold with a $12.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Hope Bancorp stock, see the HOPE Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on HOPE Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, HOPE is a Neutral.

The score is driven primarily by solid underlying financial footing (stronger balance sheet and supportive cash flow) and a notably positive 2026 outlook from the earnings call. These positives are tempered by weakened profitability trends into 2025, a mixed near-term technical setup, and a less attractive valuation backdrop due to a relatively high P/E despite a strong dividend yield.

To see Spark’s full report on HOPE stock, click here.

More about Hope Bancorp

Hope Bancorp, Inc., listed on Nasdaq as HOPE, is the holding company for Bank of Hope, a California-chartered regional bank with $18.53 billion in assets as of December 31, 2025, and the largest regional lender focused on multicultural customers across the continental U.S. and Hawaii. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it offers a full suite of commercial, corporate and consumer banking services, including commercial and commercial real estate lending, SBA loans, residential mortgages, treasury management, FX, derivatives and trade finance.

Bank of Hope operates 45 branches under its own banner across California, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Alabama and Georgia, and 29 branches in Hawaii under the Territorial Savings banner, alongside SBA, commercial and mortgage loan production offices nationwide and a representative office in Seoul, South Korea. The bank’s deposits are FDIC‑insured to statutory limits, and it positions itself as a relationship-focused lender to diverse middle‑market and retail clients, particularly within Asian-American communities.

Average Trading Volume: 922,138

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: $1.41B

Learn more about HOPE stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.