East West Bancorp Reports Net Income for Second Quarter 2022 of $258 Million and Diluted Earnings Per Share of $1.81; Record Net Interest Income of $473 Million

East West Bancorp, Inc. (“East West” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: EWBC), parent company of East West Bank, today reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2022. Second quarter 2022 net income was $258.3 million, or $1.81 per diluted share; diluted earnings per share grew 38% linked quarter annualized and 15% year-over-year.

“East West’s outstanding results for the second quarter demonstrate the strengths of our business model. Total revenue for the second quarter was $551 million, or an increase of 45% linked quarter annualized, driven by strong growth in net interest income and stable fee income. Net interest income increased to a record $473 million, up 55% linked quarter annualized, and our net interest margin increased 36 basis points quarter-over-quarter to 3.23%,” stated Dominic Ng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of East West.

“Not only is our balance sheet well-positioned for rising interest rates, it is resilient and diversified. Average total loans increased $2.5 billion to $44.6 billion, with broad-based growth across all our major loan categories. Average noninterest-bearing demand deposits increased 8% linked quarter annualized to $23.9 billion and totaled 44% of average total deposits for the second quarter of 2022,” continued Ng.

“Our strong revenue growth, combined with controlled expense management, drove second quarter 2022 adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision income¹ growth of 62% linked quarter annualized. We earned an industry-leading return on assets of 1.66% and a return on equity of 18.2% for the second quarter of 2022,” concluded Ng.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

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¹ See reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in Table 12.

BALANCE SHEET

• Record Assets – Total assets reached $62.4 billion as of June 30, 2022, up $152.8 million, or 1% annualized, from $62.2 billion as of March 31, 2022. Year-over-year, total assets grew $2.5 billion, or 4%, from $59.9 billion as of June 30, 2021.
  
  
  
  Second quarter 2022 average interest-earning assets of $58.7 billion were essentially unchanged from $58.7 billion in the first quarter of 2022. Quarter-over-quarter, average loan growth of $2.5 billion was offset by declines in average interest-bearing cash and deposits with banks ($1.7 billion), average resale agreements ($0.5 billion), and average debt securities ($0.4 billion).
  
  

• Record Loans – Total loans reached $46.5 billion as of June 30, 2022, up $3.0 billion, or 28% annualized, from $43.5 billion as of March 31, 2022. Year-over-year, total loans grew $6.5 billion, or 16%, from $40.1 billion as of June 30, 2021.
  
  
  
  Second quarter 2022 average loans of $44.6 billion grew $2.5 billion, or 24% linked quarter annualized, with solid growth spread across all our major loan categories of commercial real estate (“CRE”), commercial & industrial (“C&I”), and residential mortgage. Average CRE loans grew $1.2 billion, or 30% linked quarter annualized; average C&I loans grew $715.0 million, or 20% linked quarter annualized; and average residential mortgage loans grew $620.4 million, or 22% linked quarter annualized.
  
  

• Total Deposits – Total deposits were $54.3 billion as of June 30, 2022, a decrease of $0.6 billion, or 4% annualized, from $54.9 billion as of March 31, 2022. Year-over-year, deposits grew $1.8 billion, or 3%, from $52.6 billion as of June 30, 2021.
  
  
  
  Second quarter 2022 average deposits of $54.1 billion grew $104.5 million, or 1% linked quarter annualized. Quarter-over-quarter, average noninterest-bearing demand deposits of $23.9 billion grew $454.7 million, or 8% linked quarter annualized. Average noninterest-bearing deposits made up 44% of average total deposits in the second quarter of 2022, compared with 43% in the first quarter of 2022 and 39% in the second quarter of 2021. In the second quarter of 2022, average time deposits grew $138.7 million, or 7% linked quarter annualized, and average money market accounts decreased $593.4 million, or 18% linked quarter annualized.
  
  

• Strong Capital Levels – As of June 30, 2022, stockholders’ equity was $5.6 billion, or $39.81 per common share, and tangible equity² per common share was $36.44. As of June 30, 2022, the tangible equity to tangible assets ratio² was 8.29%, the common equity tier 1 (“CET1”) capital ratio was 12.0%, and the total risk-based capital ratio was 13.2%. Quarter-over-quarter, stockholders’ equity declined by 2%, or $94.0 million, primarily reflecting a negative change in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) of $205.7 million, share repurchases of $100.0 million, and $57.4 million in common dividends declared, partially offset by $258.3 million in net income. The negative change in AOCI was primarily due to increased unrealized losses in available-for-sale debt securities. During the second quarter of 2022, the Company repurchased 1.4 million shares of common stock.

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² See reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in Table 13.

OPERATING RESULTS

Second Quarter Earnings – Second quarter 2022 net income was $258.3 million, an increase of 9%, or 35% annualized, from $237.7 million for the first quarter of 2022, and an increase of 15% from $224.7 million for the second quarter of 2021. Second quarter 2022 diluted earnings per share were $1.81, an increase of 9%, or 38% annualized, from $1.66 per diluted share for the first quarter 2022, and an increase of 15% from $1.57 per diluted share for the year-ago quarter.

Second Quarter 2022 Compared to First Quarter 2022

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Record net interest income (“NII”) totaled $473.0 million, an increase of 14%, or 55% annualized, from $415.6 million. Net interest margin (“NIM”) of 3.23% expanded by 36 basis points from 2.87%.

• NII growth and NIM expansion were driven by strong loan growth and expanding earning asset yields. Average loan growth during the second quarter drove a favorable shift in the asset mix into higher interest earning assets. Average loans made up 76% of average interest-earning assets in the second quarter of 2022, compared with 72% in the first quarter of 2022.
• The average loan yield was 3.95%, up 32 basis points from the first quarter. The average interest-earning asset yield was 3.42%, up 43 basis points from the first quarter.
• The average cost of funds was 0.20%, up eight basis points from the first quarter. The average cost of deposits was 0.17%, up seven basis points, and the average cost of interest-bearing deposits was 0.30%, up 13 basis points from the first quarter.
• The changes in yields and rates reflected rising benchmark interest rates during the year.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income totaled $78.4 million in the second quarter, a decrease of $1.3 million, or 2%, from $79.7 million in the first quarter. Fee income and net gains on sales of loans were $64.8 million, essentially unchanged from $65.0 million in the first quarter.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense totaled $196.9 million in the second quarter, compared with $189.5 million in the first quarter. Second quarter noninterest expense consisted of $181.4 million of adjusted noninterest expense³, $15.0 million in amortization of tax credit and other investments, and $0.5 million in amortization of core deposit intangibles.

• Adjusted noninterest expense of $181.4 million increased 4%, or 15% annualized, from $175.0 million in the first quarter.
• Amortization of tax credit and other investments totaled $15.0 million in the second quarter, compared with $13.9 million in the first quarter. Quarter-over-quarter variability in the amortization of tax credits and other investments partially reflects the impact of investments that close in a given period.
• The adjusted efficiency ratio³ was 32.9% in the second quarter, compared with 35.3% in the first quarter.

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³ See reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in Table 12.

TAX RELATED ITEMS

Second quarter 2022 income tax expense was $82.7 million compared with income tax expense of $60.3 million for the first quarter of 2022. The year-to-date effective tax rate for the first six months of 2022 was 22.4%. The Company expects the full-year 2022 effective tax rate to be approximately 21%, including the impact of tax credit investments expected in the second half of the year.

ASSET QUALITY

The asset quality of the loan portfolio continues to be strong.

• The nonperforming asset (“NPA”) ratio improved by one basis point quarter-over-quarter and NPAs decreased by 5%. As of June 30, 2022, NPAs were $89.9 million, or 0.14% of total assets, compared with $94.4 million, or 0.15% of total assets, as of March 31, 2022.
• The classified loan ratio improved by six basis points quarter-over-quarter and classified loans were essentially unchanged. As of June 30, 2022, classified loans were $432.4 million, or 0.93% of loans held-for-investment (“HFI”), compared with $430.6 million, or 0.99% of loans HFI as of March 31, 2022. Special mention loans were $590.2 million, or 1.27% of loans HFI, as of June 30, 2022, compared with $402.7 million, or 0.93% of loans HFI, as of March 31, 2022.
• Second quarter 2022 net recoveries were $6.6 million, or annualized 0.06% of average loans HFI, compared with net charge-offs of $8.3 million, or annualized 0.08% of average loans HFI, for the first quarter of 2022. The second quarter gross recoveries of $7.7 million were largely driven by C&I loan recoveries.
• The allowance for loan losses (“ALLL”) totaled $563.3 million, or 1.21% of loans HFI, as of June 30, 2022, compared with $545.7 million, or 1.25% of loans HFI, as of March 31, 2022. The quarter-over-quarter change in the ALLL and the ALLL coverage ratio largely reflects the mix of the loan portfolio as of June 30, 2022, as well as loan growth during the second quarter.
• The provision for credit losses was $13.5 million for the second quarter of 2022, compared with $8.0 million for the first quarter of 2022.

CAPITAL STRENGTH

Capital levels for East West are strong. The following table presents the regulatory capital metrics as of June 30, 2022, March 31, 2022, and June 30, 2021.

EWBC Risk-Based Capital Ratios

DIVIDEND PAYOUT AND CAPITAL ACTIONS

East West’s Board of Directors has declared third quarter 2022 dividends for the Company’s common stock. The common stock cash dividend of $0.40 per share is payable on August 15, 2022, to stockholders of record on August 1, 2022.

On March 3, 2020, East West’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $500 million of East West’s common stock, of which $354 million was available as of March 31, 2022. During the second quarter of 2022, East West repurchased $100 million of common stock, or 1.4 million shares. As of June 30, 2022, $254 million remained available under this authorization.

Conference Call

East West will host a conference call to discuss second quarter 2022 earnings with the public on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET. The public and investment community are invited to listen as management discusses second quarter 2022 results and operating developments.

• The following dial-in information is provided for participation in the conference call: calls within the U.S. – (877) 506-6399; calls within Canada – (855) 669-9657; international calls – (412) 902-6699.
• A presentation to accompany the earnings call will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at www.eastwestbank.com/investors.
• A listen-only live broadcast of the call will also be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at www.eastwestbank.com/investors.
• A replay of the conference call will be available on July 21, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET through August 21, 2022. The replay numbers are: within the U.S. – (877) 344-7529; within Canada – (855) 669-9658; international calls – (412) 317-0088; and the replay access code is: 3689081.

About East West

East West Bancorp, Inc. is a public company with total assets of $62.4 billion and is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “EWBC”. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California, operating over 120 locations in the United States and in China. The Company’s markets in the United States include California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas and Washington. In China, East West’s presence includes full-service branches in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shantou and Shenzhen, and representative offices in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Xiamen. For more information on East West, visit the Company’s website at www.eastwestbank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters set forth herein (including any exhibits hereto) contain forward-looking statements that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for such statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, the Company may make forward-looking statements in other documents that it files with, or furnishes to, the 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 expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond the Company’s control. These statements may relate to the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and/or business and usually can be identified by the use of forward-looking language, such as “anticipates,” “assumes,” “believes,” “can,” “continues,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “goal,” “intends to,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “plans,” “potential,” “projects,” “remains,” “should,” “target,” “trend,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions, and the negative thereof. You should not place undue reliance on these statements, as they are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described below. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind these risks and uncertainties, as well as any cautionary statements the Company may make. Moreover, you should treat these statements as speaking only as of the date they are made and based only on information then actually known to the Company.

There are a number of important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from historical performance and any forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences, include, but are not limited to: changes in the global economy, including an economic slowdown, or market disruption, level of inflation, interest rate environment, housing prices, employment levels, rate of growth and general business conditions; the impact of any future federal government shutdown and uncertainty regarding the federal government’s debt limit; changes in local, regional and global business, economic and political conditions and geopolitical events; the economic, financial, reputational and other impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including variants thereof and any other pandemic, epidemic or health-related crisis, as well as a deterioration of asset quality and an increase in credit losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic; changes in laws or the regulatory environment including regulatory reform initiatives and policies of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the SEC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation – Division of Financial Institutions; changes and effects thereof in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the ongoing economic and political disputes between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China and the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve; changes in the commercial and consumer real estate markets; changes in consumer or commercial spending, savings and borrowing habits, and patterns and behaviors; fluctuations in the Company’s stock price; the impact from potential changes to income tax laws and regulations, federal spending and economic stimulus programs; the Company’s ability to compete effectively against financial institutions in its banking markets and other entities, including as a result of emerging technologies; the soundness of other financial institutions; the success and timing of the Company’s business strategies; the Company’s ability to retain key officers and employees; impact on the Company’s funding costs, net interest income and net interest margin from changes in key variable market interest rates, competition, regulatory requirements and the Company’s product mix; changes in the Company’s costs of operation, compliance and expansion; the Company’s ability to adopt and successfully integrate new technologies into its business in a strategic manner; the impact of the benchmark interest rate reform in the U.S. including the transition away from USD London Interbank Offered Rate to alternative reference rates; the impact of communications or technology 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 other similar matters which could result in, among other things, confidential and/or proprietary information being disclosed or misused, and materially impact the Company’s ability to provide services to its clients; the adequacy of the Company’s risk management framework, disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; future credit quality and performance, including the Company’s expectations regarding future credit losses and allowance levels; the impact of adverse changes to the Company’s credit ratings from major credit rating agencies; impact of adverse judgments or settlements in litigation; the impact on the Company’s operations due to political developments, pandemics, wars, civil unrest, terrorism or other hostilities that may disrupt or increase volatility in securities or otherwise affect business and economic conditions; heightened regulatory and governmental oversight and scrutiny of the Company’s business practices, including dealings with consumers; the impact of reputational risk from negative publicity, fines, penalties and other negative consequences from regulatory violations, legal actions and the Company’s interactions with business partners, counterparties, service providers and other third parties; the impact of regulatory investigations and enforcement actions; changes in accounting standards as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other regulatory agencies and their impact on critical accounting policies and assumptions; 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 the Company’s ability to receive dividends from its subsidiaries; any future strategic acquisitions or divestitures; changes in the equity and debt securities markets; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the impact of increased focus on social, environmental and sustainability matters, which may affect the Company’s operations as well as those of its customers and the economy more broadly; significant turbulence or disruption in the capital or financial markets, which could result in, among other things, reduced investor demand for loans, a reduction in the availability of funding or increases in funding costs, declines in asset values and/or recognition of allowance for credit losses on securities held in the Company’s debt securities and equity securities portfolio; and the impact of climate change, natural or man-made disasters or calamities, such as wildfires, droughts and earthquakes, all of which are particularly common in California, or other events that may directly or indirectly result in a negative impact on the Company’s financial performance.

For a more detailed discussion of some of the factors that might cause such differences, see the Company’s 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading Item 1A. Risk Factors and the information set forth under Item 1A. Risk Factors in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law.

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