East West Bancorp Reports Net Income for First Quarter of 2026 of $358 Million and Diluted Earnings Per Share of $2.57, Both Up 23% Year-Over-Year, Driven by Record Levels of Quarterly Fee Income, Loans and Deposits

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--East West Bancorp, Inc. (“East West” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: EWBC), parent company of East West Bank, reported first quarter 2026 net income of $358 million, or $2.57 per diluted share. Total loans and deposits both reached new records as of March 31, 2026, at $58.1 billion and $68.9 billion, respectively. Return on average assets was 1.79%, return on average common equity was 16.0%, and book value per share grew 14% year-over-year.

“East West reported record loans, deposits, and fee income in the first quarter, generating a 17% return on average tangible common equity¹,” said Dominic Ng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our balance sheet growth reflects the strength of our customer relationships and the success of the clients we serve. This performance was complemented by 12% year-over-year growth in fee income, driven by notable strength in wealth management and deposit account fees.”

“Credit performance remained resilient, with net charge-offs and nonperforming asset levels stable, while we bolstered our allowance for loan losses to 1.44% of loans,” Ng continued. “We continued to operate from a position of capital strength, which enabled us to support our customers with confidence while also returning capital to our shareholders. Looking ahead, we are well positioned to deliver top-tier shareholder returns through industry-leading profitability, strong balance sheet growth, and prudent risk management,” concluded Ng.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

	Three Months Ended									March 31, 2026 % Change
($ in millions, except per share data)	March 31, 2026			Dec. 31, 2025			March 31, 2025			Qtr-o-Qtr		Yr-o-Yr
Total Revenue	$	774		$	758		$	692		2	%	12	%
Pre-tax, Pre-provision Income^2		493			497			440		(1	)	12
Net Income		358			356			290		–		23
Diluted Earnings per Share	$	2.57		$	2.55		$	2.08		1		23
Book Value per Share	$	65.70		$	64.68		$	57.54		2		14
Tangible Book Value per Share^1	$	62.27		$	61.27		$	54.13		2	%	15	%
Return on Average Assets		1.79	%		1.77	%		1.56	%	2 bps		23 bps
Return on Average Common Equity		16.04	%		16.11	%		14.96	%	-7 bps		108 bps
Return on Average Tangible Common Equity^1		16.92	%		17.03	%		15.92	%	-11 bps		100 bps
Total Stockholders’ Equity to Assets Ratio		10.86	%		11.06	%		10.41	%	-20 bps		45 bps
Tangible Common Equity Ratio^1		10.35	%		10.54	%		9.85	%	-19 bps		50 bps
Total Assets	$	82,886		$	80,435		$	76,165		3	%	9	%

1	Return on average tangible common equity, tangible book value per share, and tangible common equity ratio are non-GAAP financial measures. See reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures in Table 12 of East West’s detailed 1Q26 earnings release and financial tables, available at www.eastwestbank.com/investors.
2	Pre-tax, pre-provision income is a non-GAAP financial measure. See reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in Table 11 of East West’s detailed 1Q26 earnings release and financial tables, available at www.eastwestbank.com/investors.

Earnings Press Release and Financial Tables

East West’s first quarter 2026 earnings press release with accompanying financial tables can be accessed at www.eastwestbank.com/investors.

Conference Call

East West will host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2026 earnings with the public on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. The public and investment community are invited to listen as management discusses first quarter 2026 results and operating developments.

• The following dial-in information is provided for participation in the conference call: calls within the U.S. - [phone]; calls within Canada – [phone]; international calls – [phone].
• A presentation to accompany the earnings call, a listen-only live broadcast of the call, and information to access a replay one hour after the call will all be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at www.eastwestbank.com/investors.

About East West

East West provides financial services that help customers reach further and connect to new opportunities. East West Bancorp, Inc. is a public company (Nasdaq: “EWBC”) with total assets of $82.9 billion as of March 31, 2026. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California, and operates over 110 locations in the United States and Asia. The Bank’s markets in the United States include California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington. For more information on East West, visit www.eastwestbank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters set forth herein (including any exhibits hereto) contain “forward-looking statements” intended to be covered by the safe harbor for such statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. East West Bancorp, Inc. (referred to herein on an unconsolidated basis as “East West” and on a consolidated basis as the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “EWBC”) may make forward-looking statements in other documents that it files with, or furnishes to, the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and management may make forward-looking statements to analysts, investors, media members and others. Forward-looking statements are those that do not relate to historical facts and that are based on current assumptions, beliefs, estimates, expectations and projections, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond the Company’s control. Forward-looking statements may relate to various matters, including the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, business or industry, and usually can be identified by the use of forward-looking words, such as “anticipates,” “assumes,” “believes,” “can,” “continues,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “goal,” “intends,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “plans,” “potential,” “projects,” “remains,” “should,” “target,” “trend,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions or variations thereof, and the negative thereof, although these terms are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties.

Factors that might cause future results to differ materially from historical performance and any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: changes in local, regional and global business, economic and political conditions and natural or geopolitical events; the soundness of other financial institutions and the impacts related to or resulting from bank failures and other industry volatility, including potential increased regulatory requirements, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance premiums and assessments, and deposit withdrawals; changes in trade, tariff, tax, monetary and fiscal policies; changes in immigration laws and enforcement practices, or travel and visa related policies; current or potential disputes between the U.S., the People’s Republic of China and other countries; changes in the commercial and consumer real estate markets; changes in consumer or commercial spending, savings and borrowing habits, patterns and behaviors; the Company’s ability to compete effectively against financial institutions and other entities, including as a result of emerging technologies; the success and timing of the Company’s business strategies; the Company’s ability to retain key officers and employees; changes in market interest rates, competition, regulatory requirements and product mix; changes in the Company’s costs of operation, compliance and expansion; disruption, failure in, or breach of, the Company’s operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of third party vendors with which the Company does business, including as a result of cyber-attacks, and the disclosure or misuse of confidential information; the adequacy of the Company’s risk management framework; future credit quality and performance, including expectations regarding future credit losses and allowance levels; adverse changes to the Company’s credit ratings; legal proceedings, regulatory investigations and their resolution; the Company’s capital requirements and its ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms; the impact on the Company’s liquidity due to changes in its ability to receive dividends from subsidiaries; any strategic acquisitions or divestitures; and the introduction of new or expanded products and services or other events that may directly or indirectly result in a negative impact on the financial performance of the Company and its customers.

For a more detailed discussion of some of the factors that might cause future results to differ materially from historical performance and any forward-looking statements, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2026 under the heading Item 1A. Risk Factors and the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and are based solely on information then actually known to the Company. The Company does not undertake, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements, except as required by law.