STEL Senior Executive Vp, Cco Joe West Sells 102,193 Shares

Joe West, the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at STEL, sold 102,193 shares of the company on July 1, 2026. This transaction was not part of a pre-planned trading program. The sale comes as part of a broader trend of insider selling at the company.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stellar Bancorp, Inc.

On July 1, 2026, several key executives at STEL sold shares. Joe West, along with other insiders like Justin Long, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, who sold 53,093 shares, and Okan Akin, Senior Executive VP and Chief Risk Officer, who sold 85,951 shares, participated in the sales. These transactions were not part of any Rule 10b5-1 plans.

Other Institutional Activity in STEL

Institutional investors have also been adjusting their holdings in STEL. BlackRock, Inc. increased its position slightly by 10,111 shares, bringing its total to 6,747,686 shares valued around $247.03 million. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP added 154,135 shares, raising its stake by 6.6% to 2,499,218 shares worth about $91.49 million. Meanwhile, Vanguard Capital Management LLC initiated a new position with 2,034,503 shares valued at approximately $74.48 million. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. significantly boosted its holdings by 1,224,367 shares, a 1,754% increase, ending with 1,294,172 shares valued at $47.38 million.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded STEL to a 'buy' rating with a price target of $44.00 on February 3, 2026. This contrasts with their previous 'hold' rating. Meanwhile, Piper Sandler maintained a 'hold' rating with a $30.00 target as of July 29, 2025. The current analyst consensus suggests a cautious outlook with a mix of 'buy' and 'hold' ratings.

Bottom Line

The recent insider sales at STEL, including Joe West's significant transaction, highlight ongoing changes in the company's stock ownership. Institutional investors have shown varied interest, with some increasing their stakes while others initiate new positions. Analyst opinions remain mixed, reflecting the market's cautious stance on STEL's future performance. As always, remember that insider transactions are reported after the fact and may not indicate future stock performance.