Banc of California: Time For A Downgrade

  • I am downgrading Banc of California to 'hold' due to underperformance, high valuation, and mediocre asset quality despite post-merger improvements. While recent earnings and net interest margin have improved, the price-to-earnings ratio remains too high for my comfort compared to peers. Asset quality and profitability metrics lag behind industry targets, with return on assets and equity below my preferred thresholds.