East West Bancorp Reports Record Net Income for Full Year 2015 of $384.7 Million and Diluted Earnings Per Share of $2.66

PASADENA, Calif.--()--East West Bancorp, Inc. (“East West” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: EWBC), parent company of East West Bank, the financial bridge between the United States and Greater China, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2015. For the fourth quarter of 2015, net income was $91.8 million or $0.63 per diluted share. For the full year 2015, net income was $384.7 million or $2.66 per diluted share.

“East West is pleased to report record earnings of $384.7 million or $2.66 per diluted share for the full year of 2015, an increase in diluted earnings per share of 10% from 2014,” stated Dominic Ng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of East West. “2015 marks the sixth consecutive year that East West has achieved record earnings. Our growth and strong profitability have been achieved, in part by the strength of the U.S. economy and markets we serve, our niche as the bridge between the East and West, and through the hard work and dedication of our 2,800 associates.”

“For the full year 2015, East West had impressive growth in loans and deposits. Total loans grew $1.9 billion or 9% to a record $23.7 billion and total deposits grew $3.5 billion or 14% to a record $27.5 billion as of December 31, 2015. The 2015 loan growth was achieved through balanced, diversified loan originations in commercial real estate loans, commercial loans and consumer loans. Core deposits reached a record $20.9 billion, now comprising 76% of total deposits as of December 31, 2015,” continued Ng.

“We are proud that this robust growth has been achieved with growing profitability. The return on average assets was 1.27% and the return on average equity was 12.74% for the year ended December 31, 2015, both up two basis points year-over-year. As we look towards 2016, we are confident that the outlook for East West is bright. We will continue to focus on our bridge banking strategy, targeting the right opportunities and helping our customers thrive in the ever-changing business and market landscape. In 2016, we will also continue to focus on operational excellence, strengthening systems, capabilities and controls and ensuring a strong bank for future growth opportunities,” concluded Ng.

Full Year 2015 Highlights

  • Sixth Consecutive Year of Record Earnings – For the full year 2015, net income climbed to $384.7 million or $2.66 per diluted share, an increase of $38.8 million or 11% from $345.9 million(1) in 2014. Net income per diluted share for the full year of 2015 totaled $2.66, an increase of $0.25 or 10% from $2.41(1) in 2014.
  • Record Loans – Total loans receivable increased to a record $23.7 billion as of December 31, 2015 from $21.8 billion as of December 31, 2014. The year-over-year loan growth of $1.9 billion or 9% was primarily driven by increases of $1.2 billion or 20% in commercial real estate loans, $925.8 million or 11% in commercial loans and $442.3 million or 29% in consumer loans. These increases were partially offset by a $799.9 million or 21% decrease in single-family real estate loans, primarily due to secondary market loan sales during 2015.
  • Record Deposits – Total deposits grew to a record $27.5 billion as of December 31, 2015 from $24.0 billion as of December 31, 2014. The year-over-year deposit growth of $3.5 billion or 14% was primarily driven by a $1.3 billion or 17% increase in noninterest-bearing demand deposits, a $790.7 million or 31% increase in interest-bearing checking deposits and a $614.8 million or 10% increase in money market deposits.
  • Improvement in Credit Quality – Nonperforming assets as of December 31, 2015 totaled $128.4 million, an improvement of $4.0 million or 3%, compared to $132.4 million as of December 31, 2014. Nonperforming assets to total assets improved six basis points to 0.40% as of December 31, 2015, compared to 0.46% as of December 31, 2014.

Quarterly Results Summary

 
    Quarter Ended
($ in millions, except per share data) December 31, 2015     September 30, 2015     December 31, 2014
 
Net income (1) $ 91.81 $ 94.10 $ 95.50
Earnings per share (diluted) (1) $ 0.63 $ 0.65 $ 0.66
Tangible equity (1)(2) per common share $ 18.15 $ 17.79 $ 16.30
 
Return on average assets (1) 1.14 % 1.22 % 1.31 %
Return on average equity (1) 11.67 % 12.23 % 13.28 %
 
Net interest income $ 246.94 $ 240.29 $ 259.49
Net interest margin 3.26 % 3.32 % 3.80 %
 
Cost of deposits 0.29 % 0.28 % 0.28 %
Adjusted efficiency ratio (2) 43.99 % 40.06 % 42.13 %
                   
(1)   Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.
(2) See reconciliation of the GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure in Table 12.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

  • Strong Fourth Quarter Earnings – Net income totaled $91.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to $94.1 million for the third quarter of 2015 and $95.5 million(1) for the fourth quarter of 2014. The 2015 fourth quarter results included a $19.0 million pretax impact from the early termination of the United Commercial Bank (“UCB”) shared-loss agreements, as discussed further below. Net income per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $0.63, a decrease of $0.02 from the third quarter of 2015 and a decrease of $0.03 from the fourth quarter of 2014.
  • Record Loans – Total loans receivable of $23.7 billion as of December 31, 2015 were up $683.4 million or 3% from $23.0 billion as of September 30, 2015. The sequential quarter increase in loans receivable was primarily driven by increases of $390.1 million or 6% in commercial real estate loans, and $383.9 million or 4% in commercial loans.
  • Record Deposits – Total deposits of $27.5 billion as of December 31, 2015 were up $716.9 million or 3% from $26.8 billion as of September 30, 2015. All core deposit categories grew during the quarter, with growth primarily experienced in interest-bearing checking deposits of $295.2 million or 10%, noninterest-bearing demand deposits of $282.6 million or 3% and money market deposits of $127.5 million or 2%.
  • Improvement in Credit Quality – Nonperforming assets as of December 31, 2015 totaled $128.4 million, an improvement of $1.4 million or 1%, compared to $129.8 million as of September 30, 2015. Nonperforming assets to total assets improved two basis points to 0.40% as of December 31, 2015, compared to 0.42% as of September 30, 2015.
  • Early Termination of the UCB Shared-Loss Agreements – During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company reached an agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) to early terminate the UCB shared-loss agreements and paid $118.4 million as consideration for the early termination. As a result, the income statement impact was a net expense of $19.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2015. As of December 31, 2015, the Company did not have any shared-loss agreements in place.

Management Guidance

The Company is providing guidance for the first quarter and full year of 2016. Management currently estimates that fully diluted earnings per share for the full year of 2016 will range from $2.80 to $2.84, an increase of $0.14 to $0.18 or 5% to 7% from $2.66 for the full year of 2015.

This EPS guidance for the full year of 2016 assumes:

  • Federal funds target rate increases 25 basis points in the third quarter of 2016 and 25 basis points in the fourth quarter of 2016
  • A net interest margin ranging from 3.29% to 3.33% for the full year 2016
  • Loan growth of approximately 8.00% for the full year 2016
  • Deposit growth of approximately 6.00% for the full year 2016
  • Provision for loan losses of approximately $30 million to $35 million for the full year 2016
  • Noninterest expense excluding amortization of tax credit and other investments of approximately $560 million to $570 million for the full year 2016
  • Amortization of tax credit and other investments of approximately $70 million for the full year 2016
  • An effective tax rate of 25% for the full year 2016

Management currently estimates that fully diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2016 will range from $0.66 to $0.68, based on the assumptions stated above.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total assets as of December 31, 2015 reached a record $32.4 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion or 4% from $31.1 billion as of September 30, 2015. The increase in total assets was largely attributable to increases of $1.0 billion or 4% in loans held-for-investment and $820.9 million or 28% in available-for-sale investment securities, partially offset by decreases of $514.8 million or 27% in cash and cash equivalents and $317.4 million or 91% in loans held for sale.

Year-over-year, total assets were $3.6 billion or 13% higher than $28.7 billion(1) as of December 31, 2014. This growth was largely due to increases of $1.9 billion or 9% in loans held-for-investment and $1.1 billion or 44% in available-for-sale investment securities.

Total Loans

Total loans receivable as of December 31, 2015 were $23.7 billion, an increase of $683.4 million or 3% from $23.0 billion as of September 30, 2015. The loan growth during the fourth quarter of 2015 largely stemmed from increases of $390.1 million or 6% in commercial real estate loans and $383.9 million or 4% in commercial loans. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company sold loans in the secondary market, largely comprised of $267.4 million of single-family real estate loans and $31.8 million of Small Business Administration 7(a) loans, realizing net gains of $5.2 million. The $317.4 million sequential quarter decrease in loans held for sale was primarily due to the single-family real estate loan sales.

Year-over-year loan growth of $1.9 billion or 9% from $21.8 billion as of December 31, 2014 was largely attributable to increases of $1.2 billion or 20% in commercial real estate loans, $925.8 million or 11% in commercial loans and $442.3 million or 29% in consumer loans, partially offset by a decrease of $799.9 million or 21% in single-family real estate loans, as a consequence of loan sales during 2015.

Deposits and Other Liabilities

The quarter-to-date balance sheet growth was fueled by strong deposit growth during the fourth quarter of 2015. As of December 31, 2015, total deposits grew to a record $27.5 billion, an increase of $716.9 million or 3% from $26.8 billion as of September 30, 2015. Core deposits increased to a record $20.9 billion, an increase of $753.8 million or 4% from $20.1 billion as of September 30, 2015. All core deposit categories grew during the fourth quarter of 2015; in particular, interest-bearing checking deposits increased by $295.2 million or 10% and noninterest-bearing demand deposits increased by $282.6 million or 3%.

Compared to the prior year, total deposits grew $3.5 billion or 14% from $24.0 billion as of December 31, 2014. This growth was largely due to an increase in core deposits of $3.0 billion or 17% from $17.9 billion as of December 31, 2014. The year-over-year growth in core deposits was primarily comprised of increases of $1.3 billion or 17% in noninterest-bearing demand deposits, $790.7 million or 31% in interest-bearing checking deposits and $614.8 million or 10% in money market deposits. Time deposits also experienced an increase of $504.2 million or 8% from December 31, 2014.

Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) advances increased $700.6 million to $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2015 from $318.9 million as of September 30, 2015. This increase in FHLB advances was the result of short-term advances entered into to improve our liquidity and available cash as of December 31, 2015. The duration of the short-term FHLB advances was approximately one month.

There were no balances for securities sold under repurchase agreements (“repurchase agreements”) reported as of December 31, 2015, compared to $150.0 million in repurchase agreements as of September 30, 2015. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company entered into a new securities purchased under resale agreement (“resale agreement”) that was eligible for netting against existing repurchase agreements, which resulted in the $150.0 million decrease in repurchase agreements between September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

FOURTH QUARTER 2015 OPERATING RESULTS

Net Interest Income

Net interest income totaled $246.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2015, an increase of $6.7 million or 3% from the third quarter of 2015 and a $12.5 million or 5% decrease from $259.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2014. The sequential quarter increase in net interest income was primarily due to an increase in interest income resulting from the growth of the loan portfolio during the fourth quarter of 2015. The decrease in net interest income year-over-year primarily resulted from the lower accretion income associated with the loans acquired from the FDIC assisted acquisitions of UCB and Washington First International Bank (“WFIB”), partially offset by a decrease in interest expense on repurchase agreements that were paid off during 2015. The total accretion income included in loan interest income was $14.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to $18.0 million for the third quarter of 2015 and $36.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2014.

During the fourth quarter of 2015, the net interest margin was 3.26%, compared to 3.32% for the third quarter of 2015 and 3.80% for the fourth quarter of 2014. This decrease in the net interest margin compared to both the sequential quarter and the prior year quarter was largely due to the reduction in accretion income as discussed above.

Cost of deposits increased one basis point to 0.29% for the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to 0.28% from both the third quarter of 2015 and the fourth quarter of 2014. Cost of funds was 0.33% for the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to 0.36% for the third quarter of 2015 and 0.43% for the fourth quarter of 2014.

Noninterest Income & Expense

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income was $44.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2015, a decrease of $9.7 million or 18% from $54.2 million for the third quarter of 2015 and an increase of $36.7 million or 470% from $7.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2014. The sequential quarter decrease in noninterest income was largely due to a $15.1 million increase in expenses related to the changes in FDIC indemnification asset and receivable/payable.

During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company entered into an agreement to early terminate the UCB shared-loss agreements with the FDIC by making a payment of $118.4 million to the FDIC. As of September 30, 2015, the Company had accrued $110.6 million as a clawback liability under the UCB shared-loss agreements. The $19.0 million expense related to the changes in FDIC indemnification asset and receivable/payable during the fourth quarter of 2015 was a result of the $7.8 million difference in the accrual compared to the cash payment and also the write-off of $11.2 million in the remaining FDIC indemnification asset and receivables from the FDIC. The Company had previously terminated the WFIB shared-loss agreements with the FDIC during the third quarter of 2015 and has no remaining shared-loss agreements with the FDIC.

The following table presents total fees and other operating income for the quarters ended December 31, 2015, September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014:

 
    Quarter Ended
($ in thousands) December 31, 2015     September 30, 2015     December 31, 2014
 
Branch fees $ 10,338 $ 9,982 $ 9,386
Letters of credit fees and foreign exchange income 13,986 7,468 11,229
Ancillary loan fees 4,722 4,839 2,749
Wealth management fees 3,958 4,374 4,057
Other fees and other operating income   11,958   9,477   8,297
Total fees and other operating income $ 44,962 $ 36,140 $ 35,718
                   

Total fees and other operating income totaled $45.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2015, an increase of $8.8 million or 24% and $9.2 million or 26% from the third quarter of 2015 and fourth quarter of 2014, respectively. The sequential quarter increase was largely due to a $6.5 million increase in letters of credit fees and foreign exchange income and a $2.5 million increase in other fees and operating income. The $9.2 million increase compared to the prior year quarter was largely due to increases of $3.7 million in other fees and other operating income, $2.8 million in letters of credit fees and foreign exchange income and $2.0 million in ancillary loan fees.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense for the fourth quarter of 2015 totaled $144.9 million, $2.8 million or 2% lower than $147.7 million for the third quarter of 2015 and $19.2 million or 15% higher than $125.7 million(1) for the fourth quarter of 2014. The sequential quarter decrease in noninterest expense was primarily due to $15.2 million in repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs incurred during the third quarter of 2015, partially offset by increases in other operating expense of $3.1 million, compensation and employee benefits of $2.7 million, consulting expenses of $2.7 million and amortization of tax credit and other investments of $2.3 million.

The Company’s adjusted efficiency ratio for the fourth quarter of 2015 was 43.99%, compared to 40.06% and 42.13% for the third quarter of 2015 and fourth quarter of 2014, respectively.

The Company’s effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2015 was 38.17%, compared to an effective tax rate of 32.30% for the third quarter of 2015 and 22.10% for the fourth quarter of 2014. The effective tax rate for the full year 2015 was 33.53%, compared to our previously estimated effective tax rate of 32% for the full year 2015.

The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter and full year 2015 was higher than our estimated effective tax rate of 32% due to certain tax credit investments that were entered into during 2015 (and included in the 2015 estimated effective tax rate in the previous quarters), but the assets were not placed into service in 2015. These assets are expected to be placed into service in 2016; correspondingly, the impact of these tax credits on the effective tax rate and the estimated book amortization have been included in the management’s 2016 earnings guidance above.

Credit Quality

The allowance for loan losses totaled $265.0 million as of December 31, 2015, compared to $264.4 million and $261.7 million as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses of $2.0 million, compared to a provision for credit losses of $7.7 million for the third quarter of 2015 and $19.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2014. In the fourth quarter of 2015, net recoveries were $3.8 million, compared to net charge-offs of $5.2 million and $9.3 million in the third quarter of 2015 and fourth quarter of 2014, respectively.

The allowance for loan losses to loans held-for-investment ratio decreased to 1.12% as of December 31, 2015, from 1.17% and 1.20% as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. The decrease in the allowance for loan losses to loans held-for-investment ratio was primarily the result of an overall improvement in credit quality. Nonperforming assets totaled $128.4 million as of December 31, 2015, a decrease of $1.4 million or 1% from September 30, 2015 and a decrease of $4.0 million or 3% from December 31, 2014.

Capital Strength

Capital levels for East West remained solid. East West’s Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) capital ratio was 10.5% as of December 31, 2015, compared to 10.8% as of September 30, 2015. Total risk-based capital ratio was 12.2%, compared to 12.6% as of both September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. In general, the capital ratios were impacted by the increase in risk-weighted assets (“RWA”), due to the balance sheet growth during the quarter.

             
Regulatory Capital Metrics     Basel III (a)     Basel I

($ in thousands)

December 31, 2015 (b)   September 30, 2015  

Well Capitalized
Regulatory
Requirement

December 31, 2014

 

Well Capitalized
Regulatory
Requirement

 
CET1 capital ratio 10.5 % 10.8 % 6.5 % N/A N/A
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 10.6 % 10.9 % 8.0 % 11.0 % 6.0 %
Total risk-based capital ratio 12.2 % 12.6 % 10.0 % 12.6 % 10.0 %
Tier 1 leverage capital ratio 8.5 % 8.7 % 5.0 % 8.4 % 5.0 %
RWA (c) $ 25,231,370 $ 23,983,349 N/A $ 21,931,486 N/A
                         

N/A Not applicable.

(a)   On January 1, 2015, the Basel III capital rules became effective for the Company. Basel III revises the definition of capital and introduces a minimum CET1 ratio. The Basel III rules are subject to transition provisions primarily related to regulatory capital adjustments and deductions impacting CET1 capital and Tier 1 capital.
(b) The Company’s December 31, 2015 regulatory capital ratios, capital and RWA are preliminary.
(c) Under regulatory guidelines, on-balance sheet assets and credit equivalent amounts of derivatives and off-balance sheet items are assigned to one of several broad risk categories of the obligor, or, if relevant, the guarantor or the nature of any collateral. The aggregate dollar value in each risk category is then multiplied by the risk weight associated with that category. The resulting weighted values from each of the risk categories are aggregated for determining total RWA.

Dividend Payout and Capital Actions

East West’s Board of Directors has declared first quarter 2016 dividends for the Company’s common stock. The common stock cash dividend of $0.20 per share is payable on February 16, 2016 to shareholders of record on February 1, 2016.

Conference Call

East West will host a conference call to discuss fourth quarter and full year 2015 earnings with the public on Thursday, January 28, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. PST/11:30 a.m. EST. The public and investment community are invited to listen as management discusses fourth quarter and full year 2015 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 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 Thursday, January 28, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST through Thursday, February 11, 2016. 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: 10078663.

About East West

East West Bancorp, Inc. is a publicly owned company with total assets of $32.4 billion and is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “EWBC”. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is one of the largest independent banks headquartered in California. East West is a premier bank focused exclusively on the United States and Greater China markets and operates over 130 locations worldwide, including in the United States markets of California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas and Washington. In Greater China, East West’s presence includes full service branches in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shantou and Shenzhen, and representative offices in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Taipei 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) constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including forward-looking statements relating to the Company’s current business plans and expectations regarding future operating results. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, the use of forward-looking language, such as “likely result in,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “projects,” “intends to,” or may include other similar words or phrases, such as “believes,” “plans,” “trend,” “objective,” “continues,” “remains,” or similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs, such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “can,” or similar verbs. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control, include, but are not limited to, our ability to compete effectively against other financial institutions in our banking markets; changes in the commercial and consumer real estate markets; changes in our costs of operation, compliance and expansion; changes in the U.S. economy, including inflation, employment levels, rate of growth and general business conditions; changes in government interest rate policies; changes in laws or the regulatory environment including regulatory reform initiatives and policies of the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; changes in the economy of and monetary policy in the People’s Republic of China; changes in accounting standards as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other regulatory agencies and its impact on critical accounting policies and assumptions; changes in the equity and debt securities markets; future credit quality and performance, including our expectations regarding future credit losses and allowance levels; fluctuations of our stock price; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; success and timing of our business strategies; impact of reputational risk from negative publicity, fines and penalties and other negative consequences from regulatory violations and legal actions; impact of potential federal tax increases and spending cuts; impact of adverse judgments or settlements in litigation or of regulatory enforcement actions; changes in our ability to receive dividends from our subsidiaries; impact of political developments, wars or other hostilities that may disrupt or increase volatility in securities or otherwise affect economic conditions; impact of natural or man-made disasters or calamities or conflicts; continuing consolidation in the financial services industry; our capital requirements and our ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms; impact of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act on our business, business practices and cost of operations; impact of adverse changes to our credit ratings from the major credit rating agencies; impact of failure in, or breach of, our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of third parties with whom we do business, including as a result of cyber attacks; and other similar matters; adequacy of our risk management framework, disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; the effect of the current low interest rate environment or changes in interest rates on our net interest income and net interest margin; the effect of changes in the level of checking or savings account deposits on our funding costs and net interest margin; a recurrence of significant turbulence or disruption in the capital or financial markets, which could result in, among other things, a reduction in the availability of funding or increased funding costs, reduced investor demand for mortgage loans and declines in asset values and/ or recognition of other-than-temporary impairment on securities held in our available-for-sale investment securities portfolio; and other factors set forth in the Company’s public reports including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and particularly the discussion of risk factors within that document. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or if any of the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements proves to be incorrect, the Company’s results could differ materially from those expressed in, implied or projected by such forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

(1)

 

Prior periods were restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company's investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.

 
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
($ in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Table 1                  
           
December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,360,887 $ 1,875,703 $ 1,039,885
Short-term investments 299,916 258,028 338,714

Resale agreements (1)

1,600,000 1,400,000 1,225,000
Available-for-sale investment securities 3,773,226 2,952,277 2,626,617
Loans held for sale 31,958 349,375 45,950
Loans held-for-investment (net of allowance for loan losses of $264,959, $264,430 and $261,679) 23,378,789 22,381,302 21,468,270

Investment in qualified affordable housing partnerships, net (2)

193,978 170,213 178,962
Goodwill 469,433 469,433 469,433

Other assets (2)

  1,242,735     1,263,345     1,350,761  

Total assets (2)

$ 32,350,922   $ 31,119,676   $ 28,743,592  
 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Customer deposits $ 27,475,981 $ 26,759,050 $ 24,008,774
Short-term borrowings 3,146

FHLB advances

1,019,424 318,872 317,241

Repurchase agreements (1)

150,000 795,000
Long-term debt 206,084 211,024 225,848
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   526,483     606,469     540,618  
Total liabilities 29,227,972 28,048,561 25,887,481

Stockholders’ equity (2)

  3,122,950     3,071,115     2,856,111  

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (2)

$ 32,350,922   $ 31,119,676   $ 28,743,592  
 

Book value per common share (2)

$ 21.70 $ 21.35 $ 19.89

Tangible equity (2)(3) per common share

$ 18.15 $ 17.79 $ 16.30

Tangible equity to tangible assets ratio (2)(3)

8.20 % 8.36 % 8.29 %
Number of common shares at period-end (in thousands) 143,909 143,870 143,582
                   

(1)

 

Resale and repurchase agreements are reported net pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 210-20-45, Balance Sheet Offsetting. As of December 31, 2015, all $450.0 million of repurchase agreements were eligible for netting against resale agreements, resulting in no repurchase agreements’ balances reported. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, $300.0 million out of $450.0 million, and $200.0 million out of $995.0 million of repurchase agreements were eligible for netting against resale agreements, respectively.

(2)

Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.

(3)

See reconciliation of the GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure in Table 12.
 
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
TOTAL LOANS AND DEPOSITS DETAIL
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 2                  
           
December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
Loans:
Real estate - commercial $ 7,478,474 $ 7,088,408 $ 6,256,059
Real estate - land and construction 632,275 621,596 563,454
Commercial 9,003,007 8,619,156 8,077,201
Real estate - single-family 3,066,919 3,002,808 3,866,781
Real estate - multifamily 1,522,995 1,492,361 1,449,908
Consumer   1,956,091     1,834,579     1,513,742  
Total loans held-for-investment (1) 23,659,761 22,658,908 21,727,145
Loans held for sale   31,958     349,375       45,950  
Total loans (1), including loans held for sale 23,691,719 23,008,283 21,773,095
Unearned fees, premiums and discounts (16,013 ) (13,176 ) 2,804
Allowance for loan losses   (264,959 )   (264,430 )     (261,679 )
Net loans (1) $ 23,410,747   $ 22,730,677   $ 21,514,220  
 
Customer deposits:
Noninterest-bearing demand $ 8,656,805 $ 8,374,192 $ 7,381,030
Interest-bearing checking 3,336,293 3,041,085 2,545,618
Money market 6,932,962 6,805,460 6,318,120
Savings   1,933,026     1,884,535     1,651,267  
Total core deposits 20,859,086 20,105,272 17,896,035
Time deposits   6,616,895     6,653,778     6,112,739  
Total deposits $ 27,475,981   $ 26,759,050   $ 24,008,774  
                   
(1)   Includes ASC 310-30 discount of $80.1 million, $90.8 million and $133.6 million as of December 31, 2015, September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
($ in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Table 3                  
           
Quarter Ended
December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
Interest and dividend income $ 270,477 $ 264,632 $ 287,135
Interest expense   (23,536 )   (24,343 )   (27,647 )
Net interest income before reversal of (provision for) credit losses 246,941 240,289 259,488
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses   2,000     (7,736 )   (19,000 )
Net interest income after reversal of (provision for) credit losses 248,941 232,553 240,488
Noninterest income 44,483 54,181 7,805
Noninterest expense (1)   (144,939 )   (147,745 )   (125,698 )
Income before income taxes (1) 148,485 138,989 122,595
Income tax expense (1)   (56,680 )   (44,892 )   (27,093 )
Net income (1) $ 91,805   $ 94,097   $ 95,502  
 
Earnings per share (1)
- Basic $ 0.64 $ 0.65 $ 0.67
- Diluted $ 0.63 $ 0.65 $ 0.66
Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands)
- Basic 143,900 143,861 143,432
- Diluted 144,686 144,590 144,116
 
Quarter Ended
December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
Noninterest income:
Branch fees $ 10,338 $ 9,982 $ 9,386
Letters of credit fees and foreign exchange income 13,986 7,468 11,229
Ancillary loan fees 4,722 4,839 2,749
Wealth management fees 3,958 4,374 4,057
Changes in FDIC indemnification asset and receivable/payable (19,007 ) (3,883 ) (50,578 )
Net gains on sales of loans 5,155 4,888 18,417
Net gains on sales of available-for-sale investment securities 13,373 17,036 4,248
Other fees and other operating income   11,958     9,477     8,297  
Total noninterest income $ 44,483   $ 54,181   $ 7,805  
 
Noninterest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits $ 68,895 $ 66,185 $ 59,369
Occupancy and equipment expense 15,302 15,362 15,588
Amortization of tax credit and other investments (1) 14,555 12,269 10,361
Amortization of premiums on deposits acquired 2,196 2,310 2,483
Deposit insurance premiums and regulatory assessments 5,049 4,726 5,161
Other real estate owned income (1,433 ) (1,374 ) (4,286 )
Legal expense 3,270 2,099 7,615
Data processing 2,589 2,602 2,537
Consulting expense 7,638 4,983 2,152
Repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs 15,193
Deposit related expenses 2,800 2,362 2,103
Other operating expense   24,078     21,028     22,615  
Total noninterest expense (1) $ 144,939   $ 147,745   $ 125,698  
                               
(1)   Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.
 
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
($ in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Table 4            
       
Year Ended
December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
Interest and dividend income $ 1,053,815 $ 1,153,698
Interest expense   (103,376 )   (112,820 )
Net interest income before provision for credit losses 950,439 1,040,878
Provision for credit losses   (14,217 )   (49,158 )
Net interest income after provision for credit losses 936,222 991,720
Noninterest income (loss) 183,383 (11,714 )
Noninterest expense (1)   (540,884 )   (532,983 )
Income before income taxes (1) 578,721 447,023
Income tax expense (1)   (194,044 )   (101,145 )
Net income (1) $ 384,677   $ 345,878  
 
Earnings per share (1)
- Basic $ 2.67 $ 2.42
- Diluted $ 2.66 $ 2.41
Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands)
- Basic 143,818 142,952
- Diluted 144,512 143,563
 
Year Ended
December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
Noninterest income (loss):
Branch fees $ 39,495 $ 37,866
Letters of credit fees and foreign exchange income 38,985 37,323
Ancillary loan fees 15,029 10,616
Wealth management fees 18,268 16,162
Changes in FDIC indemnification asset and receivable/payable (37,980 ) (201,417 )
Net gains on sales of loans 24,874 39,132
Net gains on sales of available-for-sale investment securities 40,367 10,851
Other fees and other operating income   44,345     37,753  
Total noninterest income (loss) $ 183,383   $ (11,714 )
 
Noninterest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits $ 262,193 $ 231,838
Occupancy and equipment expense 61,292 63,815
Amortization of tax credit and other investments (1) 36,120 44,092
Amortization of premiums on deposits acquired 9,234 10,204
Deposit insurance premiums and regulatory assessments 18,772 21,922
Other real estate owned income (8,914 ) (3,591 )
Legal expense 16,373 53,018
Data processing 10,185 15,888
Consulting expense 17,234 8,511
Repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs 21,818
Deposit related expenses 9,582 7,536
Other operating expense   86,995     79,750  
Total noninterest expense (1) $ 540,884   $ 532,983  
             
(1)   Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.
 
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 5                  
           
Average Balances Quarter Ended
December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
Loans:
Real estate - commercial $ 7,282,106 $ 6,906,581 $ 6,190,071
Real estate - land and construction 634,601 591,266 527,732
Commercial 8,590,810 8,222,777 7,772,264
Real estate - single-family 3,183,770 3,364,514 3,777,006
Real estate - multifamily 1,502,009 1,454,773 1,473,282
Consumer   1,932,481     1,825,065     1,562,578  
Total loans $ 23,125,777   $ 22,364,976   $ 21,302,933  
 
Available-for-sale investment securities $ 3,255,976   $ 2,830,941   $ 2,592,325  
Interest-earning assets $ 30,020,404   $ 28,727,735   $ 27,057,843  
Total assets (1) $ 31,944,102   $ 30,662,930   $ 29,022,768  
 
Customer deposits:
Noninterest-bearing demand $ 8,809,031 $ 7,970,181 $ 7,636,630
Interest-bearing checking 3,178,877 2,838,728 2,446,895
Money market 7,079,586 6,938,009 6,395,838
Savings   1,909,838     1,823,036     1,668,101  
Total core deposits $ 20,977,332 $ 19,569,954 $ 18,147,464
Time deposits   6,582,823     6,659,322     6,151,558  
Total deposits $ 27,560,155   $ 26,229,276   $ 24,299,022  
 
Interest-bearing liabilities $ 19,349,119   $ 19,041,840   $ 18,015,306  
Stockholders’ equity (1) $ 3,121,332   $ 3,051,276   $ 2,853,244  
                   
 
Selected Ratios Quarter Ended
December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
 
Return on average assets (1) 1.14 % 1.22 % 1.31 %
Return on average equity (1) 11.67 % 12.23 % 13.28 %
Interest rate spread 3.09 % 3.14 % 3.60 %
Net interest margin 3.26 % 3.32 % 3.80 %
Yield on interest-earning assets 3.57 % 3.65 % 4.21 %
Cost of deposits 0.29 % 0.28 % 0.28 %
Cost of funds 0.33 % 0.36 % 0.43 %
Adjusted noninterest expense (2)(4)/average assets (1) 1.59 % 1.53 % 1.54 %
Adjusted efficiency ratio (3)(4) 43.99 % 40.06 % 42.13 %
                   
(1)   Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.
(2) Adjusted noninterest expense represents noninterest expense, excluding repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs, amortization of tax credit and other investments, amortization of premiums on deposits acquired and integration and merger related expenses (where applicable).
(3) Represents noninterest expense, excluding repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs, amortization of tax credit and other investments, amortization of premiums on deposits acquired and integration and merger related expenses (where applicable), divided by the aggregate of net interest income before reversal of (provision for) credit losses, and noninterest income.

(4)

See reconciliation of the GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure in Table 12.

 
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 6            
       
Average Balances Year Ended
December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
Loans:
Real estate - commercial $ 6,781,671 $ 6,064,250
Real estate - land and construction 597,171 495,503
Commercial 8,140,624 6,960,925
Real estate - single-family 3,510,864 3,607,175
Real estate - multifamily 1,476,747 1,458,673
Consumer   1,769,512     1,765,292  
Total loans $ 22,276,589   $ 20,351,818  
 
Available-for-sale investment securities $ 2,847,655   $ 2,540,228  
Interest-earning assets $ 28,390,582   $ 25,798,578  
Total assets (1) $ 30,328,457   $ 27,652,970  
 
Customer deposits:
Noninterest-bearing demand $ 7,928,460 $ 6,834,871
Interest-bearing checking 2,795,379 2,179,428
Money market 6,763,979 5,958,461
Savings   1,785,085     1,748,465  
Total core deposits $ 19,272,903 $ 16,721,225
Time deposits   6,482,697     6,218,745  
Total deposits $ 25,755,600   $ 22,939,970  
 

Interest-bearing liabilities

$ 18,781,466   $ 17,648,639  
Stockholders’ equity (1) $ 3,019,095   $ 2,718,173  
             
 
Selected Ratios Year Ended
December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
 
Return on average assets (1) 1.27 % 1.25 %
Return on average equity (1) 12.74 % 12.72 %
Interest rate spread 3.16 % 3.83 %
Net interest margin 3.35 % 4.03 %
Yield on interest-earning assets 3.71 % 4.47 %
Cost of deposits 0.29 % 0.29 %
Cost of funds 0.39 % 0.46 %
Adjusted noninterest expense (2)(4)/average assets (1) 1.56 % 1.69 %
Adjusted efficiency ratio (3)(4) 41.78 % 45.28 %
             
(1)   Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.
(2) Adjusted noninterest expense represents noninterest expense, excluding repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs, amortization of tax credit and other investments, amortization of premiums on deposits acquired and integration and merger related expenses (where applicable).
(3) Represents noninterest expense, excluding repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs, amortization of tax credit and other investments, amortization of premiums on deposits acquired and integration and merger related expenses (where applicable), divided by the aggregate of net interest income before provision for credit losses, and noninterest income.
(4) See reconciliation of the GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure in Table 12.
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
QUARTER-TO-DATE AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS AND RATES
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 7      
 
    Quarter Ended
December 31, 2015   December 31, 2014
Average     Average Average     Average
Balance Interest Yield/Rate(1) Balance Interest Yield/Rate(1)

Assets

Interest-earning assets:
Due from banks and short-term investments $ 2,085,641 $ 3,397 0.65 % $ 1,678,398 $ 5,753 1.36 %
Resale agreements (2) 1,479,891 5,859 1.57 % 1,396,739 5,567 1.58 %
Available-for-sale investment securities 3,255,976 11,428 1.39 % 2,592,325 8,554 1.31 %
Loans 23,125,777 248,638 4.27 % 21,302,933 265,892 4.95 %

FHLB and Federal Reserve Bank stock

73,119   1,155   6.27 % 87,448   1,369   6.21 %
Total interest-earning assets $ 30,020,404   $ 270,477   3.57 % $ 27,057,843   $ 287,135   4.21 %
 
Noninterest-earning assets:
Cash and cash equivalents 376,538 358,982
Allowance for loan losses (268,870 ) (256,928 )
Other assets (3) 1,816,030   1,862,871  
Total assets (3) $ 31,944,102   $ 29,022,768  
 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Interest-bearing liabilities:
Checking deposits $ 3,178,877 $ 2,604 0.32 % $ 2,446,895 $ 1,734 0.28 %
Money market deposits 7,079,586 5,155 0.29 % 6,395,838 4,267 0.26 %
Savings deposits 1,909,838 952 0.20 % 1,668,101 796 0.19 %
Time deposits 6,582,823 11,117 0.67 % 6,151,558 10,080 0.65 %
Federal funds purchased and other short-term borrowings 1,624 5 1.22 % 310

FHLB advances

333,207 1,114 1.33 % 316,886 1,029 1.29 %
Repurchase agreements (2)(4) 52,174 1,413 10.74 % 804,961 8,550 4.21 %
Long-term debt 210,990   1,176   2.21 % 230,757   1,191   2.05 %
Total interest-bearing liabilities $ 19,349,119   $ 23,536   0.48 % $ 18,015,306   $ 27,647   0.61 %
 
Noninterest-bearing liabilities:
Demand deposits 8,809,031 7,636,630
Other liabilities 664,620 517,588
Stockholders’ equity (3) 3,121,332   2,853,244  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (3) $ 31,944,102   $ 29,022,768  
 
Interest rate spread 3.09 % 3.60 %
 
Net interest income and net interest margin $ 246,941   3.26 % $ 259,488  

3.80

%

 
(1)   Annualized.
(2)

Average volumes of resale and repurchase agreements are reported net pursuant to ASC 210-20-45, Balance Sheet Offsetting.

(3) Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.
(4)

The higher cost of funds noted on the repurchase agreements in the fourth quarter of 2015 is mainly due to lower balances of repurchase agreements reported as a result of the netting impacts pursuant to ASC 210-20-45, Balance Sheet Offsetting.

 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
YEAR-TO-DATE AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS AND RATES
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 8
 
   

Year Ended

December 31, 2015   December 31, 2014
Average     Average Average     Average
Volume Interest Yield/Rate Volume Interest Yield/Rate

Assets

Interest-earning assets:
Due from banks and short-term investments $ 1,851,604 $ 17,939 0.97 % $ 1,469,200 $ 23,214 1.58 %
Resale agreements (1) 1,337,274 19,799 1.48 % 1,340,411 20,323 1.52 %
Available-for-sale investment securities 2,847,655 41,375 1.45 % 2,540,228 44,684 1.76 %
Loans 22,276,589 968,625 4.35 % 20,351,818 1,059,205 5.20 %

FHLB and Federal Reserve Bank stock

77,460   6,077   7.85 % 96,921   6,272   6.47 %
Total interest-earning assets $ 28,390,582   $ 1,053,815   3.71 % $ 25,798,578   $ 1,153,698   4.47 %
 
Noninterest-earning assets:
Cash and cash equivalents 342,606 322,581
Allowance for loan losses (263,143 ) (254,616 )
Other assets (2) 1,858,412   1,786,427  
Total assets (2) $ 30,328,457   $ 27,652,970  
 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Interest-bearing liabilities:
Checking deposits $ 2,795,379 $ 8,453 0.30 % $ 2,179,428 $ 5,431 0.25 %
Money market deposits 6,763,979 18,988 0.28 % 5,958,461 16,001 0.27 %
Savings deposits 1,785,085 3,468 0.19 % 1,748,465 2,971 0.17 %
Time deposits 6,482,697 42,596 0.66 % 6,218,745 41,083 0.66 %
Federal funds purchased and other short-term borrowings 4,797 58 1.21 % 888

FHLB advances

327,080 4,270 1.31 % 349,767 4,116 1.18 %
Repurchase agreements (1)(3) 404,096 20,907 5.17 % 955,147 38,395 4.02 %
Long-term debt 218,353   4,636   2.12 % 237,738   4,823   2.03 %
Total interest-bearing liabilities $ 18,781,466   $ 103,376   0.55 % $ 17,648,639   $ 112,820   0.64 %
 
Noninterest-bearing liabilities:
Demand deposits 7,928,460 6,834,871
Other liabilities 599,436 451,287
Stockholders’ equity (2) 3,019,095   2,718,173  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (2) $ 30,328,457   $ 27,652,970  
 
Interest rate spread 3.16 % 3.83 %
 
Net interest income and net interest margin $ 950,439   3.35 % $ 1,040,878   4.03 %
 
(1)  

Average volumes of resale and repurchase agreements are reported net pursuant to ASC 210-20-45, Balance Sheet Offsetting.

(2) Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.
(3)

The higher cost of funds noted on the repurchase agreements in 2015 is mainly due to lower balances of repurchase agreements reported as a result of the netting impacts pursuant to ASC 210-20-45, Balance Sheet Offsetting.

 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 9
 
    Quarter Ended     Year Ended

December 31,
2015

   

September 30,
2015

   

December 31,
2014

December 31,
2015

   

December 31,
2014

Non-Purchased Credit Impaired (“Non-PCI”) Loans
Allowance for non-PCI loans, beginning of period $ 263,889 $ 260,617 $ 252,464 $ 260,965 $ 247,406
(Reversal of) provision for loan losses on non-PCI loans (3,135 ) 8,505 17,846 6,924 48,615
Net (recoveries) charge-offs:
Commercial real estate (5,815 ) 52 30 (5,590 ) 1,155
Commercial 2,089 6,254 5,464 11,641 29,786
Residential (111 ) (1,123 ) (1,364 ) (2,935 ) (1,307 )
Consumer (9 ) 50   5,215   173   5,422  
Total net (recoveries) charge-offs (3,846 ) 5,233   9,345   3,289   35,056  
Allowance for non-PCI loans, end of period $ 264,600   $ 263,889   $ 260,965   $ 264,600   $ 260,965  
Purchased Credit Impaired (“PCI”) Loans
Allowance for PCI loans, beginning of period $ 541 $ 612 $ 714 $ 714 $ 2,269
Reversal of provision for loan losses on PCI loans (182 ) (71 ) (355 ) (1,032 )
Total charge-offs         523  
Allowance for PCI loans, end of period $ 359   $ 541   $ 714   $ 359   $ 714  
Allowance for loan losses $ 264,959   $ 264,430   $ 261,679   $ 264,959   $ 261,679  
Unfunded Lending Commitments
Allowance for unfunded lending commitments, beginning of period $ 19,043 $ 19,741 $ 11,558 $ 12,712 $ 11,282
Provision for (reversal of) unfunded lending commitments 1,317 (698 ) 1,154 7,648 1,575
Total charge-offs         145  
Allowance for unfunded lending commitments, end of period $ 20,360   $ 19,043   $ 12,712   $ 20,360   $ 12,712  
Allowance for credit losses $ 285,319   $ 283,473   $ 274,391   $ 285,319   $ 274,391  
 
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
CREDIT QUALITY
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 10
 
Non-PCI Nonperforming Assets     December 31, 2015     September 30, 2015     December 31, 2014
 
Nonaccrual loans:
Real estate - commercial $ 29,229 $ 29,639 $ 28,513
Real estate - land and construction 697 2,455 9,636
Commercial 64,735 60,703 28,801
Real estate - single-family 8,726 11,067 8,625
Real estate - multifamily 16,244 13,127 20,819
Consumer 1,738     528     3,868    
Total nonaccrual loans 121,369 117,519 100,262
Other real estate owned, net 7,034     12,251     32,111    
Total nonperforming assets $ 128,403     $ 129,770     $ 132,373    
 
 
Credit Quality Ratios: December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
Non-PCI nonperforming assets to total assets (1) 0.40 % 0.42 % 0.46 %
Non-PCI nonaccrual loans to loans held-for-investment (1) 0.51 % 0.52 % 0.46 %
Allowance for loan losses to loans held-for-investment (1) 1.12 % 1.17 % 1.20 %
Allowance for credit losses to loans held-for-investment (1) 1.21 % 1.25 % 1.26 %
Allowance for loan losses to non-PCI nonaccrual loans 218.31 % 225.01 % 261.00 %
Quarter-to-date net (recoveries) charge-offs to average loans held-for-investment (0.07 )%

(2)

0.09 %

(2)

0.17 %

(2)

Year-to-date net charge-offs to average loans held-for-investment 0.01 % 0.04 %

(2)

0.18 %
 
(1)   Total assets and loans held-for-investment include PCI loans of $970.4 million, $1.1 billion and $1.3 billion as of December 31, 2015, September 30, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively.
(2) Annualized.
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
IMPACT OF ADOPTING NEW ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE
($ in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Table 11
 
In the first quarter of 2015, East West adopted ASU 2014-01, Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects. This ASU allows companies that invest in qualified affordable housing projects to elect the proportional amortization method of accounting for these investments, if certain conditions are met. The Company restated the prior period condensed consolidated financial statements to reflect the impact of the retrospective application of the new accounting guidance.
 
The following tables present the impact of the new accounting guidance on the condensed consolidated balance sheet and statements of income and the consolidated ratios at the periods indicated:
 
    December 31, 2014        
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

As Previously
Reported

    As Revised
Investment in qualified affordable housing partnerships, net $ 178,652 $ 178,962
Other assets - deferred tax assets $ 384,367 $ 389,601
Stockholders’ equity $ 2,850,568 $ 2,856,111
 
December 31, 2014
Consolidated Ratios and Other Measures

As Previously
Reported

As Revised
Book value per common share $ 19.85 $ 19.89
Tangible equity (1) per common share $ 16.26 $ 16.30
Tangible equity to tangible assets (1) 8.27 % 8.29 %
 
Quarter Ended Year Ended
December 31, 2014 December 31, 2014
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

As Previously
Reported

As Revised

As Previously
Reported

As Revised
Noninterest expense (2) $ 135,246 $ 125,698 $ 564,551 $ 532,983
Income before taxes $ 113,047 $ 122,595 $ 415,455 $ 447,023
Income tax expense $ 20,049 $ 27,093 $ 72,972 $ 101,145
Net income $ 92,998 $ 95,502 $ 342,483 $ 345,878
Earnings per share
- Basic $ 0.65 $ 0.67 $ 2.39 $ 2.42
- Diluted $ 0.65 $ 0.66 $ 2.38 $ 2.41
 
Quarter Ended Year Ended
December 31, 2014 December 31, 2014
Consolidated Ratios and Other Measures

As Previously
Reported

As Revised

As Previously
Reported

As Revised
Return on average assets 1.27 % 1.31 % 1.24 % 1.25 %
Return on average equity 12.95 % 13.28 % 12.61 % 12.72 %
 
(1)   See reconciliation of the GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure in Table 12.
(2) Included in noninterest expense was the line item amortization of tax credit and other investments of $19.9 million (previously reported) and $10.4 million (as revised) for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 and $75.7 million (previously reported) and $44.1 million (as revised) for the year ended December 31, 2014.
 
EAST WEST BANCORP, INC.
GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)
Table 12
 
The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to provide supplemental information regarding the Company’s performance. Tangible equity and tangible equity to tangible assets ratios are non-GAAP disclosures. Tangible equity represents common shareholders’ equity which has been reduced by goodwill and intangible assets. Given that the use of such measures and ratios are more prevalent in the banking industry and with banking regulators and analysts, the Company has included them for discussion.
 
    December 31, 2015     September 30, 2015     December 31, 2014
Stockholders’ equity (1) $ 3,122,950 $ 3,071,115 $ 2,856,111
Less:
Goodwill and other intangible assets (511,031 ) (511,584 ) (515,478 )
Tangible equity (1) $ 2,611,919   $ 2,559,531   $ 2,340,633  
 
Total assets (1) $ 32,350,922 $ 31,119,676 $ 28,743,592
Less:
Goodwill and other intangible assets (511,031 ) (511,584 ) (515,478 )
Tangible assets (1) $ 31,839,891   $ 30,608,092   $ 28,228,114  
Tangible equity to tangible assets ratio (1) 8.20 % 8.36 % 8.29 %
 
Adjusted efficiency ratio represents noninterest expense, excluding repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs, amortization of tax credit and other investments, amortization of premiums on deposits acquired, and integration and merger related expenses, divided by the aggregate of net interest income before provision for credit losses, and noninterest income. The Company believes that presenting the adjusted efficiency ratio shows the trend in recurring overhead-related noninterest expense relative to recurring net revenues. This provides clarity to financial statement users regarding the ongoing performance of the Company and allows comparability to prior periods.
 
Quarter Ended
December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014
Total noninterest expense (1) $ 144,939 $ 147,745 $ 125,698
Less:
Repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs (15,193 )
Amortization of tax credit and other investments (1) (14,555 ) (12,269 ) (10,361 )
Amortization of premiums on deposits acquired (2,196 ) (2,310 ) (2,483 )
Integration and merger related expenses     (253 )
Adjusted noninterest expense $ 128,188   $ 117,973   $ 112,601  
Net interest income before reversal of (provision for) credit losses $ 246,941 $ 240,289 $ 259,488
Noninterest income 44,483   54,181   7,805  
Net interest income and noninterest income $ 291,424   $ 294,470   $ 267,293  
Adjusted efficiency ratio 43.99 % 40.06 % 42.13 %
 
Year Ended
December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
Total noninterest expense (1) $ 540,884 $ 532,983
Less:
Repurchase agreements’ extinguishment costs (21,818 )
Amortization of tax credit and other investments (1) (36,120 ) (44,092 )
Amortization of premiums on deposits acquired (9,234 ) (10,204 )
Integration and merger related expenses   (12,640 )
Adjusted noninterest expense $ 473,712   $ 466,047  
Net interest income before provision for credit losses $ 950,439 $ 1,040,878
Noninterest income (loss) 183,383   (11,714 )
Net interest income and noninterest income (loss) $ 1,133,822   $ 1,029,164  
Adjusted efficiency ratio 41.78 % 45.28 %
 
(1)   Prior year period was restated to reflect the retrospective application of adopting the new accounting guidance related to the Company’s investments in qualified affordable housing projects ASU 2014-01. See Table 11 for additional information.

Contacts

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
East West Bancorp, Inc.
Irene Oh
Chief Financial Officer
(626) 768-6360

Contacts

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
East West Bancorp, Inc.
Irene Oh
Chief Financial Officer
(626) 768-6360