[Form 4] Hope Bancorp, Inc. Insider Trading Activity

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Hope Bancorp, Inc. (HOPE) filed a Form 4 reporting that SEVP & Chief Risk Officer Thomas Stenger disposed of 1,353 common shares on 07/21/2025 at $11.36 per share. The transaction is coded “F”, indicating the shares were automatically withheld by the company to cover the executive’s tax liability arising from the vesting of a prior equity award.

Following the withholding, Stenger’s direct ownership stands at 27,891 shares. No purchases, open-market sales, or derivative transactions were reported, and there is no change to his executive role. Given the modest size (≈$15 k) relative to HOPE’s share count and the routine, tax-related nature, the filing is neutral to slightly negative in signalling value and is unlikely to affect the investment thesis.

Insights

Financial Analyst

TL;DR: Small, tax-withholding sale—minimal impact on HOPE valuation.

The F-code disposition is non-discretionary; Stenger’s remaining 27.9 k shares show continued alignment. With a market cap near $1 bn, a $15 k sale is immaterial and should not influence forecasts or multiples. Insider ownership trend remains stable.

Corporate Governance Specialist

TL;DR: Routine compliance filing; corporate governance posture intact.

Automatic tax withholding transactions are generally benign from a governance lens. No red flags: timely filing, power of attorney used correctly, and executive retains a meaningful stake. Hence, neutral impact on governance risk assessments.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Balicka Julianna

(Last) (First) (Middle)

3200 WILSHIRE BLVD. STE. 1400

(Street)

LOS ANGELES CA 90010

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HOPE BANCORP INC [ HOPE ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	EVP, CFO

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/21/2025

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	07/21/2025		F		1,105(1)	D	$11.36	40,825	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Shares disposed to satisfy the Reporting Person's tax liability incurred by the vesting of a previously granted award.

	/s/Claire Hur as attorney-in-fact for Julianna Balicka	07/23/2025
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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FAQ

What did HOPE’s executive Thomas Stenger report in the latest Form 4?

He reported the disposition of 1,353 common shares at $11.36 on 07/21/2025 to cover tax withholding.

How many HOPE shares does Thomas Stenger hold after the transaction?

The filing shows he now directly owns 27,891 shares of Hope Bancorp common stock.

Was the sale an open-market transaction?

No. Transaction code F means shares were automatically withheld by the company for tax purposes, not sold on the market.

Does this Form 4 indicate any change in Stenger’s role at HOPE?

No. He remains SEVP & Chief Risk Officer; the filing reports only a tax-related share disposition.

Is the reported sale material to HOPE shareholders?

At roughly $15,000 in value and routine in nature, the transaction is considered immaterial to overall shareholder value.