Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
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CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Consolidated Balance Sheets
80
Consolidated Statement of Income
81
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
82
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity
83
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
84
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
86
2 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments
98
3 — Securities Purchased under Resale Agreements
108
4 — Securities
109
5 — Derivatives
115
6 — Loans Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses
122
7 — Affordable Housing Partnerships, Tax Credit and Community Reinvestment Act Investments, Net
138
8 — Goodwill
139
9 — Deposits
140
10 — Short-Term Borrowings and Long-Term Debt
140
11 — Income Taxes
141
12 — Commitments and Contingencies
143
13 — Stock Compensation Plans
144
1 4 — Stockholders’ Equity and Earnings Per Share
146
15 — Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income
147
1 6 — Regulatory Requirements and Matters
148
1 7 — Business Segments
149
1 8 — Parent Company Condensed Financial Statements
152
19 — Subsequent Events
154
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
East West Bancorp, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of East West Bancorp, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three‑year period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three‑year period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated February 28, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Allowance for loan losses for loans evaluated on a collective pool basis
As discussed in Notes 1 and 6 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s allowance for loan losses (ALL) is established as management’s estimate of expected credit losses inherent in the Company’s lending activities. As of December 31, 2024 the ALL was $702 million, which includes the ALL for commercial loans evaluated on a collective pool basis (the commercial collective ALL). The ALL is the portion of the loan’s amortized cost basis that the Company does not expect to collect due to anticipated credit losses over the loan’s contractual life, adjusted for estimated prepayments. The Company measured the expected credit losses on a collective pool basis when similar risk characteristics existed. The December 31, 2024 commercial collective ALL included quantitative and qualitative components. The Company developed and documented the commercial collective ALL methodology at the portfolio segment level. The commercial collective ALL methodology used various models and estimation techniques based on the Company’s historical loss
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experience, current borrower characteristics, which included internal risk ratings, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable macroeconomic forecasts. The commercial loan portfolio is comprised of commercial and industrial (C&I) and commercial real estate (CRE), which also included multifamily residential, and construction and land loans. The Company’s C&I lifetime loss rate model estimated credit losses by estimating a loss rate expected over the life of a loan which is applied to the amortized cost basis, excluding accrued interest receivables, to determine expected credit losses. The Company’s CRE model applies projected probability of defaults (“PDs”) and loss given defaults (“LGDs”) to the estimated exposure at default, considering the term and payment structure of the loan, to generate estimates of expected loss. The Company incorporated forward-looking information using macroeconomic scenarios, which included variables that are considered key drivers of increases and decreases in credit losses. A probability-weighted multiple scenario forecast over a reasonable and supportable forecast period is incorporated into both the quantitative models. The Company’s C&I lifetime loss rate model reverts to the historical average loss rate, expressed through the loan-level lifetime loss rate, after the reasonable and supportable forecast period. The Company’s CRE model considers the contractual life of the loans and the forecast of future economic conditions return to long-run historical economic trends within the reasonable and supportable period. In order to estimate the life of a loan under both quantitative models, the contractual term of the loan is adjusted for estimated prepayments based on historical prepayment experience. The Company also considered qualitative factors in determining the commercial collective ALL, if these factors have not already been captured by the quantitative model.
We identified the December 31, 2024 commercial collective ALL as a critical audit matter. A high degree of audit effort, including specialized skills and knowledge, and subjective and complex auditor judgment was involved in the assessment due to significant measurement uncertainty. Specifically, the assessment encompassed the evaluation of the commercial collective ALL methodology, including an evaluation of the conceptual soundness and performance of the methods and models used to estimate (1) the quantitative component and its significant data elements and assumptions, which included portfolio segments, historic loss experience, reasonable and supportable forecast period, internal risk ratings, probability-weighted macroeconomic forecast scenarios, contractual term of the loan adjusted for estimated prepayments, and (2) the qualitative component. In addition, auditor judgment was required to evaluate the sufficiency of audit evidence obtained.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the Company’s measurement of the commercial collective ALL estimates, including controls over the:
• development of the commercial collective ALL methodology
• continued use and appropriateness of changes made to the quantitative models
• performance monitoring of the quantitative models
• identification and determination of the significant data elements and assumptions used in the quantitative models
• development of the qualitative component
• analysis of the commercial collective ALL results, trends, and ratios.
We evaluated the Company’s process to develop the commercial collective ALL estimates by testing the models, significant data elements and assumptions that the Company used, and considered the relevance and reliability of such models, data, factors, and assumptions. We performed ratio and trend analysis over key ratios and peer comparison information relevant to the commercial collective ALL. In addition, we involved credit risk professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, who assisted in:
• evaluating the Company’s commercial collective ALL methodology for compliance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
• evaluating judgments made by the Company relative to the assessment, conceptual soundness and performance testing of the quantitative models, which are based on historical loss experience by comparing them to relevant Company-specific metrics and trends and the applicable industry and regulatory practices
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• evaluating the judgments made by the Company in selecting the macroeconomic forecast scenarios, including the reasonable and supportable period and the related probability-weighted macroeconomic forecast scenarios
• determining whether the loan portfolio is pooled based on loans with similar risk characteristics by comparing to the Company’s business environment and relevant industry practices
• evaluating risk ratings for a selection of collectively evaluated commercial loans
• evaluating the conceptual soundness of the framework used to develop the qualitative factors and the effect of those factors on the commercial collective ALL compared with relevant credit risk factors and consistency with credit trends and identified limitations of the underlying quantitative models.
We also assessed the sufficiency of the audit evidence obtained related to the commercial collective ALL estimates by evaluating the:
• cumulative results of audit procedures
• qualitative aspects of the Company’s accounting practices
• potential bias in accounting estimates.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2009.
Los Angeles, California
February 28, 2025
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EAST WEST BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
($ in thousands, except shares)
December 31,
2024 2023
ASSETS
Cash and due from banks $ 360,734 $ 444,793
Interest-bearing cash with banks 4,890,008 4,170,191
Cash and cash equivalents 5,250,742 4,614,984
Interest-bearing deposits with banks 48,198 10,498
Securities purchased under resale agreements (“resale agreements”) 425,000 785,000
Debt securities:
Available-for-sale (“AFS”), at fair value (amortized cost of $ 11,505,775 and $ 6,916,491 )
10,846,811 6,188,337
Held-to-maturity (“HTM”), at amortized cost (fair value of $ 2,387,754 and $ 2,453,971 )
2,917,413 2,956,040
Loans held-for-sale — 116
Loans held-for-investment (net of allowance for loan losses of $ 702,052 and $ 668,743 )
53,024,585 51,542,039
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) investments, net 926,640 905,036
Premises and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation of $ 166,154 and $ 157,622 )
82,233 86,370
Operating lease right-of-use assets 81,967 94,024
Goodwill 465,697 465,697
Other assets 1,907,189 1,964,743
TOTAL $ 75,976,475 $ 69,612,884
LIABILITIES
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing $ 15,450,428 $ 15,539,872
Interest-bearing 47,724,595 40,552,566
Total deposits 63,175,023 56,092,438
Bank Term Funding Program (“BTFP”) borrowings — 4,500,000
Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) advances 3,500,000 —
Long-term debt and finance lease liabilities 35,974 153,011
Operating lease liabilities 89,263 102,353
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 1,453,161 1,814,248
Total liabilities 68,253,421 62,662,050
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 12)
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common stock, $ 0.001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 169,925,379 and 169,372,230 shares issued
170 169
Additional paid-in capital 2,030,712 1,980,818
Retained earnings 7,311,542 6,465,230
Treasury stock, at cost 31,488,080 and 29,344,863 shares
( 1,034,110 ) ( 874,787 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (“AOCI”), net of tax ( 585,260 ) ( 620,596 )
Total stockholders’ equity 7,723,054 6,950,834
TOTAL $ 75,976,475 $ 69,612,884
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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EAST WEST BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME
($ and shares in thousands, except per share data)
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME
Loans receivable, including fees $ 3,490,979 $ 3,172,746 $ 2,048,301
Debt securities
449,065 276,190 198,906
Assets purchased under resale agreements 11,254 20,164 29,767
Restricted equity securities 10,104 4,062 3,144
Interest-bearing cash and deposits with banks 231,794 220,643 41,113
Total interest and dividend income 4,193,196 3,693,805 2,321,231
INTEREST EXPENSE
Deposits 1,720,174 1,205,550 251,838
Federal funds purchased and other short-term borrowings 42,163 157,002 1,801
FHLB advances 147,269 6,430 1,754
Securities sold under repurchase agreements (“repurchase agreements”) 197 1,497 14,362
Long-term debt and finance lease liabilities 4,677 11,072 5,595
Total interest expense 1,914,480 1,381,551 275,350
Net interest income before provision for credit losses 2,278,716 2,312,254 2,045,881
Provision for credit losses 174,000 125,000 73,500
Net interest income after provision for credit losses 2,104,716 2,187,254 1,972,381
NONINTEREST INCOME
Deposit account fees 103,880 93,811 95,177
Lending fees 98,455 83,876 79,208
Foreign exchange income 54,605 48,276 41,416
Wealth management fees 38,627 26,994 27,738
Customer derivative income 16,401 20,200 29,057
Net gains on sales of loans 44 3,634 6,411
Net gains (losses) on AFS debt securities
2,069 ( 6,862 ) 1,306
Other investment income 5,611 9,348 7,037
Other income 15,526 15,987 11,316
Total noninterest income 335,218 295,264 298,666
NONINTEREST EXPENSE
Compensation and employee benefits 550,734 508,538 477,635
Occupancy and equipment expense 64,399 62,763 62,501
Deposit account expense 47,390 43,143 25,508
Computer and software related expenses 47,271 44,475 42,776
Deposit insurance premiums and regulatory assessments 45,736 103,308 19,449
Other operating expense 148,301 140,222 118,166
Amortization of tax credit and CRA investments 54,242 120,299 113,358
Total noninterest expense 958,073 1,022,748 859,393
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 1,481,861 1,459,770 1,411,654
Income tax expense 316,275 298,609 283,571
NET INCOME $ 1,165,586 $ 1,161,161 $ 1,128,083
EARNINGS PER SHARE (“EPS”)
BASIC $ 8.39 $ 8.23 $ 7.98
DILUTED $ 8.33 $ 8.18 $ 7.92
WEIGHTED-AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING
BASIC 138,898 141,164 141,326
DILUTED 139,958 141,902 142,492
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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EAST WEST BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
($ in thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
Net income $ 1,165,586 $ 1,161,161 $ 1,128,083
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on AFS debt securities 48,845 81,763 ( 508,799 )
Reclassification of unrealized losses on debt securities transferred from AFS to HTM — — ( 112,991 )
Amortization of unrealized losses on debt securities transferred from ASF to HTM 10,884 11,171 12,678
Net changes in unrealized (losses) gains on cash flow hedges
( 23,411 ) 52,155 ( 49,788 )
Foreign currency translation adjustments ( 982 ) ( 56 ) ( 16,348 )
Other comprehensive income (loss) 35,336 145,033 ( 675,248 )
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME $ 1,200,922 $ 1,306,194 $ 452,835
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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EAST WEST BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
($ in thousands, except shares and per share data)
Common Stock and Additional Paid-in Capital
Shares Amount Retained Earnings Treasury Stock AOCI, Net of Tax Total Stockholders’ Equity
BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2021 141,907,954 $ 1,893,725 $ 4,683,659 $ ( 649,785 ) $ ( 90,381 ) $ 5,837,218
Net income — — 1,128,083 — — 1,128,083
Other comprehensive loss — — — — ( 675,248 ) ( 675,248 )
Issuance of common stock pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements 671,871 42,832 — — — 42,832
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements ( 246,462 ) — — ( 19,087 ) — ( 19,087 )
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to the stock repurchase program ( 1,385,517 ) — — ( 99,990 ) — ( 99,990 )
Cash dividends on common stock ($ 1.60 per share)
— — ( 229,196 ) — — ( 229,196 )
BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2022 140,947,846 $ 1,936,557 $ 5,582,546 $ ( 768,862 ) $ ( 765,629 ) $ 5,984,612
Cumulative-effect of change in accounting principle (1)
— — ( 4,262 ) — — ( 4,262 )
Net income — — 1,161,161 — — 1,161,161
Other comprehensive income — — — — 145,033 145,033
Issuance of common stock pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements 913,185 44,430 — — — 44,430
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements ( 327,573 ) — — ( 23,751 ) — ( 23,751 )
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to the stock repurchase program ( 1,506,091 ) — — ( 82,174 ) — ( 82,174 )
Cash dividends on common stock ($ 1.92 per share)
— — ( 274,215 ) — — ( 274,215 )
BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2023 140,027,367 $ 1,980,987 $ 6,465,230 $ ( 874,787 ) $ ( 620,596 ) $ 6,950,834
Cumulative-effect of change in accounting principle (2)
— — ( 9,482 ) — — ( 9,482 )
Net income — — 1,165,586 — — 1,165,586
Other comprehensive income — — — — 35,336 35,336
Issuance of common stock pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements 553,149 49,895 — — — 49,895
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements ( 199,871 ) — — ( 14,877 ) — ( 14,877 )
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to the stock repurchase program ( 1,943,346 ) — — ( 144,446 ) — ( 144,446 )
Cash dividends on common stock ($ 2.20 per share)
— — ( 309,792 ) — — ( 309,792 )
BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2024 138,437,299 $ 2,030,882 $ 7,311,542 $ ( 1,034,110 ) $ ( 585,260 ) $ 7,723,054
(1) Represents the change in the Company’s allowance for loan losses as a result of the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2022-02 , Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings and the Vintage Disclosures on January 1, 2023.
(2) Represents the impact of the adoption of ASU 2023-02 , Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method on January 1, 2024. Refer to Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (“this Form 10-K”) for additional information.
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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EAST WEST BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
($ in thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income $ 1,165,586 $ 1,161,161 $ 1,128,083
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Provision for credit losses 174,000 125,000 73,500
Depreciation and amortization 198,447 163,460 159,851
Amortization of premiums (accretion of discount), net 13,891 10,723 56,703
Stock compensation costs 45,535 39,867 37,601
Deferred income tax benefit ( 14,283 ) ( 49,139 ) ( 43,988 )
Net gains on sales of loans ( 44 ) ( 3,634 ) ( 6,411 )
Net (gains) losses on AFS debt securities ( 2,069 ) 6,862 ( 1,306 )
Impairment on other real estate owned (“OREO”) and other foreclosed assets 7,735 — 6,861
Net gains on sales of OREO and other foreclosed assets ( 460 ) ( 3,451 ) ( 3,042 )
Loans held-for-sale:
Originations
( 2,881 ) ( 116 ) ( 447 )
Proceeds from sales and paydowns/payoffs of loans originally classified as held-for-sale 3,020 — 461
Distributions received from equity method investees 5,645 11,282 7,586
Net change in accrued interest receivable and other assets 63,743 ( 146,270 ) 187,512
Net change in accrued expenses and other liabilities ( 242,443 ) 105,304 461,385
Other operating activities, net ( 3,755 ) 3,860 1,673
Total adjustments 246,081 263,748 937,939
Net cash provided by operating activities 1,411,667 1,424,909 2,066,022
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Net (increase) decrease in:
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments ( 378,305 ) ( 228,550 ) ( 167,303 )
Interest-bearing deposits with banks ( 38,352 ) 128,523 596,994
Assets purchased under resale agreements:
Proceeds from paydowns and maturities 360,000 219,917 1,951,388
Purchases — ( 212,725 ) ( 390,077 )
AFS debt securities:
Proceeds from sales 1,428,829 3,138 129,181
Proceeds from repayments, maturities and redemptions 1,547,058 1,470,819 896,726
Purchases ( 7,599,454 ) ( 1,549,846 ) ( 1,070,608 )
HTM debt securities:
Proceeds from repayments, maturities and redemptions 54,249 61,744 75,635
Purchases — — ( 50,000 )
Loans held-for-investment:
Proceeds from sales of loans originally classified as held-for-investment 715,088 711,862 602,725
Purchases ( 1,000,637 ) ( 600,930 ) ( 657,620 )
Other changes in loans held-for-investment, net ( 1,341,549 ) ( 4,166,572 ) ( 6,516,182 )
Proceeds from sales of OREO and other foreclosed assets 33,055 3,721 6,482
Distributions received from equity method investees 23,598 23,774 18,221
Purchases of FHLB stock, net ( 84,079 ) — —
Other investing activities, net ( 14,704 ) ( 112,036 ) ( 8,454 )
Net cash used in investing activities ( 6,295,203 ) ( 4,247,161 ) ( 4,582,892 )
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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EAST WEST BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
($ in thousands)
(Continued)
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net change in deposits 7,108,377 144,468 2,709,427
Net change in short-term borrowings ( 4,500,000 ) 4,500,000 6
FHLB advances:
Proceeds 4,000,400 6,000,000 4,950,200
Repayments ( 500,400 ) ( 6,000,000 ) ( 5,200,200 )
Repurchase agreements:
Repayment — ( 300,000 ) —
Extinguishment cost — ( 3,872 ) —
Long-term debt and lease liabilities:
Repayment of junior subordinated debt and lease liabilities ( 117,437 ) ( 871 ) ( 943 )
Common stock:
Proceeds from issuance pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements 3,023 3,208 3,178
Stock tendered for payment of withholding taxes ( 14,877 ) ( 23,751 ) ( 19,087 )
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to the stock repurchase program ( 143,082 ) ( 82,174 ) ( 99,990 )
Cash dividends paid ( 308,478 ) ( 274,554 ) ( 228,381 )
Net cash provided by financing activities 5,527,526 3,962,454 2,114,210
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents ( 8,232 ) ( 7,002 ) ( 28,491 )
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 635,758 1,133,200 ( 431,151 )
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR 4,614,984 3,481,784 3,912,935
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF YEAR $ 5,250,742 $ 4,614,984 $ 3,481,784
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest $ 2,057,967 $ 1,213,319 $ 249,587
Income taxes, net $ 246,945 $ 291,685 $ 281,269
Noncash investing and financing activities:
Loans transferred from held-for-investment to held-for-sale $ 659,322 $ 739,379 $ 623,777
Securities transferred from AFS to HTM debt securities $ — $ — $ 3,010,003
Loans transferred to OREO or other foreclosed assets $ 67,379 $ 11,141 $ 270
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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EAST WEST BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Organization
East West Bancorp, Inc. (referred to herein on an unconsolidated basis as “East West” and on a consolidated basis as the “Company”) is a registered bank holding company that offers a full range of banking services to individuals and businesses through its subsidiary bank, East West Bank and its subsidiaries (“East West Bank” or the “Bank”). The Bank is the Company’s principal asset. As of December 31, 2024, the Company operated i n over 110 locations in the United States (“U.S.”) and Asia. In the U.S., the Bank’s corporate headquarters and main administrative offices are located in California, and its branches and offices are located in California, Texas, New York, Washington, Georgia, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Nevada. In Asia, East West’s presence included full-service branches in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shantou and Shenzhen, representative offices in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Singapore, and administrative support offices in Beijing and Shanghai. The Bank has a banking subsidiary based in China — East West Bank (China) Limited.
Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation — The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform with the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), applicable guidelines prescribed by regulatory authorities and common practices in the banking industry. The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements, income and expenses during the reporting period, and the related disclosures. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Certain items on the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes for the prior years have been reclassified to conform to the 2024 presentation.
Principles of Consolidation — The Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K include the accounts of East West and its subsidiaries that are majority owned and in which the Company has a controlling financial interest, and variable interest entities (“VIE”) in which the Company has determined to be the primary beneficiary. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in an entity by first evaluating whether the entity is a voting interest entity or a VIE. Voting interest entities are entities that have sufficient equity and provide the equity investors voting rights that enable them to make significant decisions relating to the entity’s operations.
VIEs are entities that, by design, either (1) lack sufficient equity to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties, or (2) have equity investors that do not have the ability to make significant decisions relating to the entity’s operations through voting rights, or do not have the obligation to absorb the expected losses, or do not have the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. For a VIE, a controlling financial interest is where the Company has the power to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and has an obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE. If it is determined that the Company does not have a variable interest in the entity, no further analysis is required and the entity is not consolidated. The Variable Interest Model applies to all legal entities, including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and trusts. For an entity that does not meet the definition of a VIE, the entity is determined to be a voting interest entity. The Company consolidates a voting interest entity if it can exert control over the financial and operating policies of an investee, which can occur if the Company has a more than 50% voting interest in the entity. For unconsolidated voting interest entities or VIE, the Company uses the proportional amortization method (“PAM”), equity, cost or measurement alternative method based on the Company’s voting or economic interest.
East West has one wholly-owned subsidiary that is a statutory business trust (the “Trust”). In accordance with the guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, Consolidation, the Trust has not been consolidated by the Company.
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Cash and Cash Equivalents — Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, cash items in transit, cash due from the Federal Reserve Bank (“FRB”) of San Francisco and other financial institutions, and federal funds sold with original maturities up to three months.
Interest-Bearing Deposits with Banks — Interest-bearing deposits with banks include cash placed with other banks with original maturities greater than three months and less than one year.
Assets Purchased under Resale Agreements and Securities Sold under Repurchase Agreements — Resale agreements are recorded as receivables based on the values at which the securities or loans are acquired. Repurchase agreements are accounted for as collateralized financing transactions and recorded as liabilities based on the values at which the securities are sold. The Company monitors the values of the underlying assets collateralizing the resale and repurchase agreements, including accrued interest, and obtains or posts additional collateral in order to maintain the appropriate collateral requirements for the transactions. For allowance for credit losses on resale agreements, refer to the Allowance for Collateral-Dependent Financial Assets section of this note for details.
Debt Securities — Debt securities are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of their trade dates. The Company initially classifies its debt securities as trading securities, AFS or HTM debt securities based on management’s intention on the date of the purchase. Debt securities are purchased for liquidity and investment purposes, as part of asset/liability management and other strategic activities.
Debt securities for which the Company has the positive intention and ability to hold until maturity are classified as HTM and are carried at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses. Debt securities not classified as trading securities or HTM securities are classified as AFS. AFS debt securities are reported at fair value, net of the allowance for credit losses, with unrealized gains and losses recorded in AOCI, net of applicable income taxes. For details of the allowance for credit losses on debt securities, refer to the Allowance for Credit Losses on Available-for-Sale and Held-to-Maturity Debt Securities sections of this note. Interest income, including any amortization of premium or accretion of discount, is included in debt securities of interest and dividend income in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income. The Company recognizes realized gains and losses on the sale of AFS debt securities in earnings, using the specific identification method.
Upon transfer of a debt security from the AFS to HTM category, the security’s new amortized cost is reset to fair value, reduced by any previous write-offs but excluding any allowance for credit losses. Unrealized gains or losses at the date of transfer of these securities continue to be reported in AOCI and are amortized into interest income over the remaining life of the securities as effective yield adjustments, in a manner consistent with the amortization or accretion of the original purchase premium or discount on the associated security. For transfers of securities from the AFS to HTM category, any allowance for credit losses that was previously recorded under the AFS model is reversed and an allowance for credit losses is subsequently recorded under the HTM debt security model. The reversal and re-establishment of the allowance for credit losses are recorded in the provision for credit losses.
Equity Securities — The Company’s equity securities include both marketable and non-marketable equity securities. Marketable equity securities with readily determinable fair values are recorded at fair value with unrealized gains and losses due to changes in fair value; and are included in Other investment income on the Consolidated Statement of Income. Marketable equity securities include mutual fund investments, which are included in Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Non-marketable equity securities including tax credit investments, and other equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values are recorded in Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net, and Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and are accounted for under one of the following accounting methods:
• Equity Method — When the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee.
• Cost Method — The cost method is applied to restricted equity securities held for membership and regulatory purposes, such as FRB of San Francisco and FHLB stock. These investments are held at their cost minus impairment. If impaired, the carrying value is written down to the fair value of the security.
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• Measurement Alternative — This method is applied to all remaining non-marketable equity securities. These securities are carried at cost adjusted for impairment, if any, plus or minus observable price changes in orderly transactions of an identical or similar security of the same issuer.
The Company’s impairment review for equity method, cost method and measurement alternative securities typically includes an analysis of the facts and circumstances of each security, the intent or requirement to sell the security, the expectations of cash flows, capital needs and the viability of its business model. For equity and cost method investments, the Company reduces the asset’s carrying value when the Company considers declines in value to be other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”). For securities accounted for under the measurement alternative, the Company reduces the asset value when the fair value is less than the carrying value, without the consideration of recovery.
Loans Held-for-Sale — Loans are initially classified as loans held-for-sale when they are individually identified as being available for immediate sale and management has committed to a formal plan to sell them. Loans held-for-sale are carried at lower of cost or fair value. Subject to periodic review under the Company’s evaluation process, including asset/liability and credit risk management, the Company may transfer certain loans from held-for-investment to held-for-sale measured at lower of cost or fair value. Any write-downs in the carrying amount of the loan at the date of transfer are recorded as charge-offs to allowance for loan losses. Loan origination fees on loans held-for-sale, net of certain costs in processing and closing the loans, are deferred until the time of sale and are included in the periodic determination of the lower of cost or fair value adjustments and/or the gain or loss recognized at the time of sale. A valuation allowance is established if the fair value of such loans is lower than their cost, with a corresponding charge to noninterest income. If the loan or a portion of the loan cannot be sold, it is subsequently transferred back to the loans held-for-investment portfolio from the loans held-for-sale portfolio at the lower of cost or fair value on the transfer date.
Loans Held-for-Investment — At the time of commitment to originate or purchase a loan, the loan is determined to be held-for-investment if it is the Company’s intent to hold the loan to maturity or for the foreseeable future. Loans held-for-investment are stated at their outstanding principal, reduced by an allowance for loan losses and net of deferred loan fees or costs, or unearned fees on originated loans, net of unamortized premiums or unaccreted discounts on purchased loans. Nonrefundable fees and direct costs associated with the origination or purchase of loans are deferred and netted against outstanding loan balances. The deferred net loan fees and costs are recognized in interest income as an adjustment to yield over the loan term using the effective interest method. Discounts/premiums on purchased loans are accreted/amortized to interest income using the effective interest method over the remaining contractual maturity. Interest on loans is calculated using the simple-interest method on daily balances of the principal amounts outstanding. Generally, loans are placed on nonaccrual status when they become 90 days past due or more. Loans are considered past due when contractually required principal or interest payments have not been made on the due dates. Loans are also placed on nonaccrual status when management believes, after considering economic and business conditions and collection efforts, that the borrower’s financial condition is such that full collection of principal or interest becomes uncertain, regardless of the length of past due status. Once a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, interest accrual is discontinued and all unpaid accrued interest is reversed against interest income. Interest payments received on nonaccrual loans are reflected as a reduction of principal and not as interest income. A loan is returned to accrual status when the borrower has demonstrated a satisfactory payment trend subject to management’s assessment of the borrower’s ability to repay the loan.
Loan Modifications — The Company applies the general loan modification guidance provided in ASC 310-20 to all loan modifications, including modifications made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. Under ASC 310-20-35-9 to 310-20-35-10, a modification is treated as a new loan only if the following two conditions are met: (1) the terms of the new loan are at least as favorable to the Company as the terms for comparable loans to other customers with similar collection risks; and (2) modifications to the terms of the original loan are more than minor. If either condition is not met, the modification is accounted for as a continuation of the existing loan with any effect of the modification treated as a prospective adjustment to the loan’s effective interest rate. A modification made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty may vary by program and by borrower-specific characteristics, and may include rate reductions, principal forgiveness, term extensions, and payment delays, and is intended to minimize the Company’s economic loss and to avoid foreclosure or repossession of collateral. The Company applies the same credit loss methodology it uses for similar loans that were not modified.
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Troubled Debt Restructurings — Prior to the adoption of ASU 2022-02, a loan was generally classified as a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) when the Company, for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s financial difficulties, granted a concession to the borrower that the Company would not otherwise consider. The concessions may be granted in various forms, including a below-market change in the stated interest rate, a reduction in the loan balance or accrued interest, a term extension, a payment forbearance and other actions. Loans with contractual terms that were modified as a TDR and were current at the time of restructuring may remain on accrual status if there was demonstrated performance prior to the restructuring and payment in full under the restructured terms was expected. Otherwise, these loans were placed on nonaccrual status and were reported as nonperforming, until the borrower demonstrated a sustained period of performance, generally six months, and the ability to repay the loan according to the contractual terms. If accruing TDRs ceased to perform in accordance with their modified contractual terms, they were placed on nonaccrual status and reported as nonperforming TDRs. TDRs were included in the quarterly allowance for credit losses valuation process.
Allowance for Loan Losses — The allowance for loan losses is established as management’s estimate of expected credit losses inherent in the Company’s lending activities; it is increased by the provision for credit losses and decreased by net charge-offs. The allowance for loan losses is evaluated quarterly by management based on regular reviews of the collectability of the Company’s loans, and more often if deemed necessary. The Company develops and documents the allowance for loan losses methodology at the portfolio segment level. The commercial loan portfolio is comprised of commercial and industrial (“C&I”), commercial real estate (“CRE”), multifamily residential, and construction and land loans; and the consumer loan portfolio is comprised of single-family residential, home equity lines of credit (“HELOCs”), and other consumer loans.
The allowance for loan losses represents the portion of a loan’s amortized cost basis that the Company does not expect to collect due to anticipated credit losses over the loan’s contractual life, adjusted for prepayments. The Company measures the expected loan losses on a collective pool basis when similar risk characteristics exist. Models consisting of quantitative and qualitative components are designed for each pool to develop the expected credit loss estimates. Reasonable and supportable forecast periods vary by loan portfolio. The Company has adopted lifetime loss rate models for the portfolios, which use historical loss rates and forecast economic variables to calculate the expected credit losses for each loan pool. When loans do not share similar risk characteristics, the Company evaluates the loan for expected credit losses on an individual basis. Individually assessed loans include nonaccrual loans. The Company evaluates loans for expected credit losses on an individual basis if, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the original contractual terms of the loan agreement. When the loan is deemed uncollectible, it is the Company’s policy to charge off the uncollectible amount against the allowance for loan losses.
The amortized cost of loans held-for-investment excludes accrued interest, which is included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company has made an accounting policy election to not recognize an allowance for loan losses for accrued interest receivables as the Company reverses accrued interest if a loan is on nonaccrual status.
The allowance for loan losses is reported separately on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and the Provision for credit losses is reported on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
Allowance for Unfunded Credit Commitments — The allowance for unfunded credit commitments includes reserves provided for unfunded loan commitments, letters of credit, standby letters of credit (“SBLCs”) and recourse obligations for loans sold. The Company estimates the allowance for unfunded credit commitments over the contractual period in which the entity is exposed to credit risk via a present contractual obligation to extend credit. Within the period of credit exposure, the Company considers both the likelihood that funding will occur, and the expected credit losses on the commitments that are expected to fund over their estimated lives.
The allowance for unfunded credit commitments is maintained at a level believed by management to be sufficient to absorb expected credit losses related to unfunded credit facilities. The determination of the adequacy of the allowance is based on periodic evaluations of the unfunded credit facilities. For all off-balance sheet instruments and commitments, the unfunded credit exposure is calculated using assumptions based on the Company's historical utilization experience in related portfolio segments. Loss rates are applied to the calculated exposure balances to estimate the allowance for unfunded credit commitments. Other elements such as credit risk factors for loans outstanding, terms and expiration dates of the unfunded credit facilities, and other pertinent information are considered to determine the adequacy of the allowance.
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The allowance for unfunded credit commitments is included in the Accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Changes to the allowance for unfunded credit commitments are included in Provision for credit losses on the Consolidated Income Statements.
Allowance for Credit Losses on Available-for-Sale Debt Securities — For each reporting period, each AFS debt security that is in an unrealized loss position is individually analyzed as part of the Company’s ongoing assessments to determine whether a fair value below the amortized cost basis has resulted from a credit loss or other factors. The initial indicator of impairment is a decline in fair value below the amortized cost of the AFS debt security, excluding accrued interest. The Company first considers whether there is a plan to sell the AFS debt security or it is more-likely-than-not that it will be required to sell the AFS debt security before recovery of the amortized cost. In determining whether an impairment is due to credit related factors, the Company considers the severity of the decline in fair value, nature of the security, the underlying collateral, the financial condition of the issuer, changes in the AFS debt security’s ratings and other qualitative factors. For AFS debt securities that are guaranteed or issued by the U.S. government, or government-sponsored enterprises of high credit quality, the Company applies a zero credit loss assumption.
When the Company does not intend to sell the impaired AFS debt security and it is more-likely-than-not that the Company will not be required to sell the impaired debt security prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, the credit component of the unrealized loss of the impaired AFS debt security is recognized as an allowance for credit losses, with a corresponding Provision for credit losses on the Consolidated Statement of Income and the non-credit component is recognized in Other comprehensive income (loss) on the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, net of applicable taxes. At each reporting period, the Company increases or decreases the allowance for credit losses as appropriate, while limiting reversals of the allowance for credit losses to the extent of the amounts previously recorded. If the Company intends to sell the impaired debt security or it is more-likely-than-not that the Company will be required to sell the impaired debt security prior to recovering its amortized cost basis, the entire impairment amount is recognized as an adjustment to the debt security’s amortized cost basis, with a corresponding Provision for credit losses on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
The amortized cost of the Company’s AFS debt securities excludes accrued interest, which is included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company has made an accounting policy election not to recognize an allowance for credit losses for accrued interest receivables on AFS debt securities as the Company reverses any accrued interest if a debt security is impaired. As each AFS debt security has a unique security structure, where the accrual status is clearly determined when certain criteria listed in the terms are met, the Company assesses the default status of each security as defined by the debt security’s specific security structure.
Allowance for Credit Losses on Held-to-Maturity Debt Securities — For each major HTM debt security type, the allowance for credit losses is estimated collectively for groups of securities with similar risk characteristics. For securities that do not share similar risk characteristics, the losses are estimated individually. The Company applies a zero credit loss assumption to certain HTM debt securities, including debt securities that are either guaranteed or issued by the U.S. government or government-sponsored enterprises, are highly rated by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”), and have a long history of no credit losses. Any expected credit loss is recorded through the allowance for credit losses and deducted from the amortized cost basis of the security, reflecting the net amount the Company expects to collect.
The amortized cost of the Company’s HTM debt securities excludes accrued interest, which is included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company has made an accounting policy election not to recognize an allowance for credit losses for accrued interest receivables on HTM debt securities, as the Company reverses any accrued interest against interest income if a debt security is placed on nonaccrual status. The criteria used to place HTM debt securities on nonaccrual are largely similar to those described for loans. Any cash collected on nonaccrual HTM debt securities is applied to reduce the security’s amortized cost basis and not as interest income. Generally, the Company returns an HTM security to accrual status when all delinquent interest and principal become current under the contractual terms of the security, and the collectability of remaining principal and interest is no longer doubtful.
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Allowance for Collateral-Dependent Financial Assets — A financial asset is considered collateral-dependent if repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral. The allowance for credit losses is measured on an individual basis for collateral-dependent financial assets and determined by comparing the fair value of the collateral less the cost to sell, to the amortized cost basis of the related financial asset at the reporting date. Other than loans, collateral-dependent financial assets could also include resale agreements. In arrangements which the borrower must continually adjust the collateral securing the asset to reflect changes in the collateral’s fair value (e.g., resale agreements), the Company estimates the expected credit losses on the basis of the unsecured portion of the amortized cost as of the balance sheet date. If the fair value of the collateral is equal to or greater than the amortized cost of the resale agreement, the expected losses would be zero. If the fair value of the collateral is less than the amortized cost of the asset, the expected losses are limited to the difference between the fair value of the collateral and the amortized cost basis of the resale agreement.
Allowance for Purchased Credit Deteriorated Assets — Purchased assets that have experienced a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination are deemed Purchased Credit Deteriorated (“PCD”) assets. For PCD HTM debt securities and PCD loans, the company records the allowance for credit losses by grossing up the initial amortized cost, which includes the purchase price and the allowance for credit losses. The expected credit losses of PCD debt securities are measured at the individual security level. The expected credit losses for PCD loans are measured based on the loan’s unpaid principal balance. Under this approach, there is no income statement impact from the acquisition. Subsequent changes in the allowance for credit losses on PCD assets will be recognized in Provision for credit losses on the Consolidated Statement of Income. The non-credit discount or premium will be accreted to interest income based on the effective interest rate on the PCD assets determined after the gross-up for the allowance for credit losses.
Premises and Equipment, Net — The Company’s premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are computed based on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the various classes of assets. The ranges of estimated useful lives for the principal classes of assets are as follows:
Premises and Equipment Useful Lives
Buildings 25 years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
7 years
Leasehold improvements Term of lease or useful life, whichever is shorter
The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment annually, or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be recoverable. An asset is considered impaired when the fair value, which is the expected undiscounted cash flows over the remaining useful life, is less than the net book value. The excess of the net book value over its fair value is charged as impairment loss to noninterest expense.
Goodwill — Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired in an acquisition. Goodwill is tested for impairment on an annual basis as of December 31, or more frequently as events occur or circumstances change that indicate a potential impairment at the reporting unit level. The Company assesses goodwill for impairment at each operating segment level. The Company organizes its operations into three reporting segments: (1) Consumer and Business Banking; (2) Commercial Banking; and (3) Treasury and Other. For information on how the reporting units are identified and the components are aggregated, see Note 17 — Business Segments to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K. The Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment of goodwill or elect to bypass the qualitative test and proceed directly to a quantitative test. If the Company performs a qualitative assessment of goodwill to test for impairment and concludes it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is greater than its carrying value, quantitative tests are not required. If the qualitative analysis indicates that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying value, the Company is required to perform a quantitative assessment to determine if there is goodwill impairment. Factors considered in the qualitative assessments include but are not limited to macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, financial performance of the respective operating segment and other relevant entity- and reporting-unit specific considerations. A quantitative valuation involves determining the fair value of each reporting unit and comparing the fair value to its corresponding carrying value. Goodwill impairment loss is recorded as a charge to noninterest expense and an adjustment to the carrying value of goodwill. Subsequent reversals of goodwill impairment are not allowed.
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Derivatives — As part of its asset/liability management strategy, the Company uses derivative financial instruments to mitigate exposure to interest rate and foreign currency risks, and to assist customers with their risk management objectives. Derivatives utilized by the Company primarily include swaps, forwards and option contracts. Derivative instruments are included in Other assets or Accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair value. All derivatives designated as fair value hedges and hedges of the net investments in certain foreign operations are linked to specific hedged items or to groups of specific assets and liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Cash flow hedges are linked to the forecasted transactions related to a recognized asset/liability or to groups of recognized assets/liabilities. The related cash flows impacts of derivatives are recognized on the Cash flows from operating activities section on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.
The Company uses accounting hedges based on the exposure being hedged as either fair value hedges, cash flow hedges or hedges of the net investments in certain foreign operations. For fair value hedges of interest rate risk, changes in fair value of derivatives are reported in the same line item where the earnings effect of the hedged item is presented, as Interest expense or Interest and dividend income on the Consolidated Statement of Income. Changes in fair value of derivatives designated as hedges of the net investments in foreign operations are recorded as a component of AOCI. For cash flow hedges of floating-rate interest payments or receipts, the change in the fair value of hedges is recognized in AOCI on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and reclassified to earnings in the same period when the hedged cash flows impact earnings. The changes in the fair value of the hedging instrument are recorded in the same income statement line item as the hedged item’s expense or income is recorded. For example, fair value changes of hedged on borrowings are recorded within Interest expense , and fair value changes of hedges on loan assets are recorded as interest income within Interest and dividend income on the Consolidated Statements of Income.
To qualify as an accounting hedge under the hedge accounting rules (versus an economic hedge where hedge accounting is not sought), a derivative must be highly effective in offsetting the risk designated as being hedged at the inception and on an ongoing basis. The Company evaluates the hedge effectiveness and formally documents its hedging relationships at inception, including the identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transaction at the time the derivative contract is executed. Subsequent to inception, on a quarterly basis, the Company assesses whether the derivatives used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value of the hedged items or the cash flows of attributable hedged risks. The quarterly assessment is performed on both a prospective basis (to reconfirm forward-looking expectations that the hedge will be highly effective) and a retrospective basis (to determine whether the hedging relationship was highly effective).
The Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively when (i) a derivative is no longer highly effective in offsetting the risk being hedged; (ii) a derivative expires, or is sold, terminated or exercised, or (iii) the Company determines that designation of a derivative as a hedge is no longer appropriate. If a fair value hedge is discontinued, the derivative will continue to be recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair value with changes in fair value recognized on the Consolidated Statement of Income. When the hedged net investment is discontinued, any amounts that have not yet been recognized in earnings remain in AOCI until the net investment is either sold or substantially liquidated where the changes in the fair value of the derivatives are reclassified out of AOCI into Foreign exchange income on the Consolidated Statement of Income. If a cash flow hedge is discontinued but the hedged forecasted cash flow is still expected to happen, the derivative net gain or loss will remain in AOCI and be reclassified into earnings in the periods in which the hedged forecasted cash flow affects earnings. If a cash flow hedge is discontinued and it becomes probable that the forecasted cash flow is not expected to happen, the derivative net gain or loss will be reclassified into earnings immediately.
The Company also offers various interest rate, commodity and foreign exchange derivative products to customers. These derivative contracts are recorded at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in Customer derivative income or Foreign exchange income on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
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From time to time, the Company obtains equity warrants to purchase preferred and/or common stock of public or private companies it provides loans to as part of the Company’s loan origination process. Separately, the Company granted performance-based restricted stock units (“RSUs”) as part of its consideration for its investment in Rayliant Global Advisors Limited (“Rayliant”) during the third quarter of 2023. The vesting of these performance-based RSUs is contingent on Rayliant meeting certain financial performance targets during the future performance period. These equity contracts are accounted for as derivatives and recorded at fair value in Other assets or Accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet with changes in fair value recorded in Lending fees , for equity warrants related to the loan origination process , or Other investment income, for performance-based RSU’s related to Rayliant, on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
The Company is exposed to counterparty credit risk, which is the risk that counterparties to the derivative contracts do not perform as expected. Valuation of derivative assets and liabilities reflect the value of the instrument inclusive of the nonperformance risk. The Company uses master netting arrangements to mitigate counterparty credit risk in derivative transactions. To the extent the derivatives are subject to master netting arrangements, the Company takes into account the impact of master netting arrangements that allow the Company to set off all derivative contracts executed with the same counterparty on a net basis, and to offset the net derivative position with the related cash and securities collateral. The Company elects to offset derivative transactions with the same counterparty on the Consolidated Balance Sheet when a derivative transaction has a legally enforceable master netting arrangement and when it is eligible for netting under ASC 210-20-45-1, Balance Sheet Offsetting: Netting Derivative Positions on Balance Sheet. Derivative balances and related cash collateral are presented net on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. In addition, the Company applies the Settlement to Market treatment for the cash variation margin received/pledged on our interest rate and commodity contracts cleared through certain centrally cleared counterparties. As a result, derivative balances with these counterparties are considered settled by the variation margin.
Fair Value — The Company records or discloses certain assets and liabilities at fair value. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or the price that would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In determining the fair value of financial instruments, the Company uses various methods including market and income approaches. Based on these approaches, the Company utilizes certain assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated or generally unobservable. Fair value measurements are based on the exit price notion that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs. All inputs, whether observable or unobservable, are ranked in accordance with a prescribed fair value hierarchy that assigns the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets and the lowest priority to prices derived from data lacking transparency. The Company’s assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to their fair value measurements. The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities is classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
• Level 1 — Valuation is based on quoted prices for identical instruments traded in active markets.
• Level 2 — Valuation is based on quoted prices for similar instruments traded in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments traded in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable and can be corroborated by market data.
• Level 3 — Valuation is based on significant unobservable inputs for determining the fair value of assets or liabilities. These significant unobservable inputs reflect assumptions that market participants may use in pricing the assets or liabilities.
For additional information on fair value, see Note 2 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
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Stock-Based Compensation — The Company grants time-based RSUs, which include service conditions for vesting. RSUs that vest in the form of shares of the Company’s common stock are classified as equity. Compensation cost for these time-based awards is based on the quoted market price of the Company’s common stock at the grant date. RSUs that will be settled in cash instead of shares are liability classified awards and compensation cost for these awards is adjusted to fair value based on changes in the Company’s stock price up to the settlement date. In addition, the Company grants performance-based RSUs, which contain additional performance goals and market conditions that are required to be met in order for the awards to vest. Compensation expense for these performance-based RSUs is based on the grant-date fair value considering both performance and market conditions. Subsequently, the Company evaluates the probable outcome of the performance conditions quarterly and makes cumulative adjustments for current and prior periods in compensation expense in the period of change. Market conditions subsequent to the grant date have no impact on the amount of compensation expense. Compensation cost is amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award, which is generally the maximum vesting period of the award. Excess tax benefits and deficiencies on share-based payment awards are recognized within Income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Income. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and are updated quarterly. As stock-based compensation expense is estimated based on awards ultimately expected to vest, it is reduced by the expense related to awards expected to be forfeited. If the estimated forfeitures are revised, a cumulative effect of changes in estimated forfeitures for the current and prior periods is recognized in compensation expense in the period of change. Refer to Note 13 — Stock Compensation Plans on the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for additional information.
Revenue from Contracts with Customers — The Company recognizes two primary types of revenue on its Consolidated Statement of Income: Net interest income and Noninterest income . The Company’s revenue from contracts with customers consists of service charges and fees related to deposit accounts, card income and wealth management fees. These revenue streams as described below comprised 43 %, 41 % and 41 % of total noninterest income for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
• Deposit Service Charges and Related Fee Income — The Company offers a range of deposit products to individuals and businesses, which includes savings, money market, checking and time deposit accounts. The deposit account services include ongoing account maintenance, as well as certain optional services such as various in-branch services, automated teller machine/debit card usage, wire transfer services or check orders. In addition, treasury management and business account analysis services are offered to commercial deposit customers. The monthly account fees may vary with the amount of average monthly deposit balances maintained, or the Company may charge a fixed monthly account maintenance fee if certain average balances are not maintained. In addition, each time a deposit customer selects an optional service, the Company may earn transaction fees, generally recognized by the Company at the point when the transaction occurs. For business analysis accounts, commercial deposit customers receive an earnings credit based on their account balance, which can be used to offset the cost of banking and treasury management services. Business analysis accounts that are assessed fees in excess of earnings credits received are typically charged at the end of each month, after all transactions are known and the credits are calculated. Deposit service charges and related fee income are recognized in all operating segments and included in Deposit account fees on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
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• Card Income — Card income consists of merchant referral fees and interchange income. For merchant referral fees, the Company provides marketing and referral services to acquiring banks for merchant card processing services and earns variable referral fees based on transaction activities. The Company satisfies its performance obligation over time as the Company identifies, solicits, and refers business customers who are provided such services. The Company receives monthly fees net of consideration it pays to the acquiring bank performing the merchant card processing services. The Company recognizes revenue on a monthly basis when the uncertainty associated with the variable referral fees is resolved after the Company receives monthly statements from the acquiring bank. For interchange income, the Company, as a card issuer, has a stand ready performance obligation to authorize, clear, and settle card transactions. The Company earns or pays interchange fees, which are percentage-based on each transaction, and based on rates published by the corresponding payment network for transactions processed using their network. The Company measures its progress toward the satisfaction of its performance obligation over time as services are rendered, and the Company provides continuous access to this service and settles transactions as its customer or the payment network requires. Interchange income is presented net of direct costs paid to the customer and entities in their distribution chain, which are transaction-based expenses such as rewards program expenses and certain network costs. Revenue is recognized when the net profit is determined by the payment networks at the end of each day. Card income is recognized in consumer and business banking, and commercial banking segments and included in Deposit account fees on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
• Wealth Management Fees — The Company provides investment planning services for customers including wealth management services, asset allocation strategies, portfolio analysis and monitoring, investment strategies and risk management strategies. The fees the Company earns are variable and are generally received monthly. The Company recognizes revenue for the services performed at quarter-end based on actual transaction details received from the broker-dealer with whom the Company engages. Wealth management fees are recognized in both consumer and business banking, and commercial banking segments
Income Taxes — The Company files consolidated federal income tax returns, foreign tax returns, and various combined and separate company state tax returns. The calculation of the Company’s income tax provision and related tax accruals requires the use of estimates and judgments. Income tax expense consists of two components: current and deferred. Current tax expense represents taxes to be paid or refunded for the current period and includes income tax expense related to our uncertain tax positions. Income tax liabilities (receivables) represent the estimated amounts due to (due from) the various taxing jurisdictions where the Company has established a tax presence and are reported in Accrued expenses and other liabilities or Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Deferred tax expense results from changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities between period, and is determined using the balance sheet method. Under the balance sheet method, the net deferred tax asset or liability is based on the tax effects of the differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for tax attributes such as net operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards. Management regularly reviews the Company’s tax positions and deferred tax balances. In concluding whether a valuation allowance is required, the Company considers all available evidence, both positive and negative, based on the more-likely-than-not criteria that such assets will be realized. Factors considered in this analysis include the Company’s ability to generate future taxable income, implement tax-planning strategies (as defined in ASC 740, Income Taxes ) and utilize taxable income from prior carryback years (if such carryback is permitted under the applicable tax law), as well as future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences. To the extent a deferred tax asset is no longer expected more-likely-than-not to be realized, a valuation allowance is established. Deferred tax assets net of deferred tax liabilities are included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
The Company reports a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken, or expected to be taken, in an income tax return. Uncertain tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize. An uncertain tax position is measured at the largest amount of benefit that management believes has a greater than 50% likelihood of realization upon settlement. Tax benefits not meeting our realization criteria represent unrecognized tax benefits. The Company establishes a liability for potential taxes, interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions based on facts and circumstances, including the interpretation of existing law, new judicial or regulatory guidance, and the status of tax audits.
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The Company uses the PAM for affordable housing partnership investments, whereby the associated tax credits are recognized as a reduction to tax expense. Upon the adoption of ASU 2023-02 on January 1, 2024, the Company also began applying the PAM to new markets, historic, production and renewable energy tax credit investments. Under PAM, the Company amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the income tax credits and other income tax benefits received, and recognizes the amortization in Income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Income. The Company also holds investments in other tax credit investments using either equity method or the measurement alternative method of accounting. These tax credits are recognized on the Consolidated Financial Statements to the extent they are utilized on the Company’s income tax returns in the year the credit arises under the flow through method of accounting.
Earnings Per Share — Basic EPS is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted EPS is computed by taking net income, adjusted to remove any fair value changes related to liability-classified contingent equity contracts, divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during each period, plus any incremental dilutive common share equivalents calculated for outstanding time- and performance-based RSUs and contingently issuable shares using the treasury stock method.
Foreign Currency Translation — The Company’s foreign subsidiary in China, East West Bank (China) Limited’s functional currency is in Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”). As a result, assets and liabilities of East West Bank (China) Limited are translated, for the consolidation purpose, from its functional currency into the reporting currency U.S. dollar (“USD”) using period-end spot foreign exchange rates. Revenues and expenses of East West Bank (China) Limited are translated, for the purpose of consolidation, from its functional currency into the reporting currency USD at the transaction date foreign exchange rates. The effects of those translation adjustments are reported in the Foreign currency translation adjustments account within Other comprehensive income (loss) on the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, net of any related hedged effects. For transactions that are denominated in a currency other than the functional currency, including transactions denominated in the local currencies of foreign operations that use the USD as their functional currency, the effects of changes in exchange rates are reported in Foreign exchange income on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
Accounting Pronouncements Adopted in 2024
Standard Required Date of Adoption Description Effect on Financial Statements
ASU 2023-02, Investments — Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method
January 1, 2024 ASU 2023-02 expands the scope of the PAM to equity tax credit investment programs if certain conditions are met. Previously, the PAM could only be used for investments in low-income housing tax credit structures. Under this guidance, companies are able to elect, on a tax credit program-by-tax credit program basis, to apply the PAM to all equity investments meeting the criteria in ASC 323-740-25-1.
The amendments in this guidance must be applied on a modified retrospective or a retrospective basis.
The Company adopted ASU 2023-02 on January 1, 2024, for all tax credit investments under a modified retrospective basis. The impact of the adoption decreased opening retained earnings on January 1, 2024 by $ 9 million.
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Accounting Pronouncements Adopted in 2024 (continued)
Standard Required Date of Adoption Description Effect on Financial Statements
ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280) : Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures
December 31, 2024
ASU 2023-07 expands the disclosure requirements for reportable segments of public entities by adding the following disclosure requirements:
• Requires, on an annual and interim basis, significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss.
• Requires, on an annual and interim basis, amount and composition of other segment items. This amount reconciles segment revenues, less the significant segment expenses, to the reported measure of segment profit or loss.
• Expands the current interim disclosure requirements to require all existing annual disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets also be made on an interim basis.
• Clarifies that if a CODM uses more than one measure of segment profit or loss, then the entity may disclose one or more measures, but at least one measure should be that which is most consistent with GAAP measurement principles.
• Requires annual disclosure of the title and position of the CODM as well as explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measures in assessing segment performance and allocating resources.
The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 on December 31, 2024. The amendments have been applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented.
The following standards were adopted on January 1, 2024, but they did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements:
• ASU 2023-01, Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Arrangements
• ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Yet to be Adopted
Standard Required Date of Adoption Description Effect on Financial Statements
ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740) : Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures
December 31, 2025
Early adoption is permitted. ASU 2023-09 amends the disclosure requirements for income taxes, including the requirement for further disaggregation of the income tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disclosures.
The amendments in this guidance must be applied prospectively, with the option to apply retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement —Reporting Comprehensive Income — Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses
December 31, 2027
Early adoption is permitted. ASU 2024-03 requires public companies to disclose, in interim and annual reporting periods, additional information about certain expenses in the notes to financial statements. Disclosures of disaggregated expenses include the following:
• The amounts of (a) purchases of inventory; (b) employee compensation; (c) depreciation; (d) intangible asset amortization; and (e) depreciation, depletion and amortization of capitalized costs related to oil- and gas-producing activities in each relevant expense caption.
• A qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively.
The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
The following standards were adopted on January 1, 2025, but they did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements:
• ASU 2023-05, Business Combinations — Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement
• ASU 2024-02 , Codification Improvements — Amendments to Remove References to the Concepts Statements
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Note 2 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Under applicable accounting standards, the Company measures a portion of its assets and liabilities at fair value. These assets and liabilities are predominantly recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. From time to time, certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis; that is, they are subject to fair value adjustments only as required through the application of an accounting method such as lower of cost or fair value or write-down of individual assets. The Company categorizes its assets and liabilities into three levels based on the established fair value hierarchy and conducts a review of fair value hierarchy classifications on a quarterly basis. For more information regarding the fair value hierarchy and how the Company measures fair value, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Fair Value to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The following section describes the valuation methodologies used by the Company to measure financial assets and liabilities on a recurring basis, as well as the general classification of these instruments within the fair value hierarchy.
Available-for-Sale Debt Securities — The fair value of AFS debt securities is generally determined by independent external pricing service providers who have experience in valuing these securities or by taking the average quoted market prices obtained from independent external brokers. The valuations provided by the third-party pricing service providers are based on observable market inputs, which include benchmark yields, reported trades, issuer spreads, benchmark securities, bids, offers, prepayment expectations and reference data obtained from market research publications. Inputs used by the third-party pricing service providers in valuing collateralized mortgage obligations and other securitization structures also include newly issued data, monthly payment information, whole loan collateral performance, tranche evaluation and “To Be Announced” prices. In valuing securities issued by state and political subdivisions, inputs used by third-party pricing service providers also include material event notices. The valuations provided by the brokers incorporate information from their trading desks, research and other market data.
On a monthly basis, the Company validates the valuations provided by third-party pricing service providers to ensure that the fair value determination is consistent with the applicable accounting guidance and the financial instruments are properly classified in the fair value hierarchy. To perform this validation, the Company evaluates the fair values of securities by comparing the fair values provided by the third-party pricing service providers to prices from other available independent sources for the same securities. When significant variances in prices are identified, the Company further compares the inputs used by different sources to ascertain the reliability of these sources. On a quarterly basis, the Company reviews the valuation inputs and methodology furnished by third-party pricing service providers for each security category. On an annual basis, the Company assesses the reasonableness of broker pricing by reviewing the related pricing methodologies. This review includes corroborating pricing with market data, performing pricing input reviews under current market-related conditions, and investigating security pricing by instrument as needed.
When a quoted price in an active market exists for the identical security, this price is used to determine the fair value and the AFS debt security is classified as Level 1. Level 1 AFS debt securities consist of U.S. Treasury securities. When pricing is unavailable from third-party pricing service providers for certain securities, the Company requests market quotes from various independent external brokers and utilizes the average quoted market prices. In addition, the Company obtains market quotes from other official published sources. As these valuations are based on observable inputs in the current marketplace, they are classified as Level 2.
Equity Securities — Equity securities consist of mutual funds and exchange-traded equity securities. The Company invested in these mutual funds for CRA purposes. The Company uses net asset value (“NAV”) information to determine the fair value of these equity securities. When NAV is available periodically and the equity securities can be put back to the transfer agents at the publicly available NAV, the fair value of the equity securities is classified as Level 1. When NAV is available periodically, but the equity securities may not be readily marketable at its periodic NAV in the secondary market, the fair value of these equity securities is classified as Level 2.
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Exchange-traded equity securities are measured based on quoted prices on an active exchange market, and classified as Level 1. Effective January 24, 2024, all of the outstanding shares of Visa B common stock (“Visa B shares”) were redenominated to Visa Class B-1 common stock (“Visa B-1 shares”). On April 8, 2024, Visa commenced an initial exchange offer for any and all outstanding Visa B-1 shares. In exchange for the Company’s 2,266 Visa B-1 shares, the Company received 1,133 Visa Class B-2 common stock (“Visa B-2 shares”) and 449 Visa Class C common stock (“Visa C shares”). The Visa B-2 shares remain subject to transfer restrictions and will continue to be held at cost. As the Visa C shares are convertible into Visa’s publicly traded Class A common stock (“Visa A shares”), the Company recognized the Visa C shares at fair value of $ 568 thousand based on the closing price of the Visa A shares as of December 31, 2024.
Interest Rate Contracts — Interest rate contracts consist of interest rate swaps and options. The fair value of the interest rate swaps is determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash payments (or receipts) and the discounted expected variable cash receipts (or payments). The fair value of the interest rate options, which consist of floors and caps, is determined using the market standard methodology of discounting the future expected cash receipts that will occur if variable interest rates fall below (rise above) the strike rate of the floors (caps). In addition, to comply with the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement , the Company incorporates credit valuation adjustments to appropriately reflect both its own and the respective counterparty’s nonperformance risk in the fair value measurements of its derivatives. The credit valuation adjustments associated with the Company’s derivatives utilize model-derived credit spreads, which are Level 3 inputs. Considering the observable nature of all other significant inputs utilized, the Company classifies these derivative instruments as Level 2.
Foreign Exchange Contracts — The fair value of foreign exchange contracts is determined at each reporting period based on changes in the applicable foreign exchange rates. These are over-the-counter contracts where quoted market prices are not readily available. Valuation is measured using conventional valuation methodologies with observable market data. Due to the short-term nature of the majority of these contracts, the counterparties’ credit risks are considered nominal and result in no adjustments to the valuation of the foreign exchange contracts. Due to the observable nature of the inputs used in deriving the fair value of these contracts, the valuation of foreign exchange contracts is classified as Level 2. In addition, the Bank managed its foreign currency exposure in the net investment in its China subsidiary, East West Bank (China) Limited, a non-USD functional currency subsidiary, with foreign currency non-deliverable forward contracts. These foreign currency non-deliverable forward contracts were designated as net investment hedges. The fair value of foreign currency non-deliverable forward contracts is determined by comparing the contracted foreign exchange rate to the current market foreign exchange rate. Key inputs of the current market exchange rate include the spot and forward rates of the contractual currencies. Foreign exchange forward curves are used to determine which forward rate pertains to a specific maturity. Due to the observable nature of the inputs used in deriving the estimated fair value, these instruments are classified as Level 2.
Credit Contracts — Credit contracts utilized by the Company are comprised of credit risk participation agreements (“RPAs”) between the Company and institutional counterparties. The fair value of the RPAs is calculated by determining the total expected asset or liability exposure of the derivatives to the borrowers and applying the borrowers’ credit spread to that exposure. Total expected exposure incorporates both the current and potential future exposure of the derivatives, derived from using observable inputs, such as yield curves and volatilities. Due to the observable nature of all other significant inputs used in deriving the estimated fair value, credit contracts are classified as Level 2.
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Equity Contracts — Equity contracts consist of warrants to purchase common or preferred stock of public and/or private companies, and any liability-classified contingently issuable shares of the Company. The fair value of the warrants is based on the Black-Scholes option pricing model. For warrants from public companies, the model uses the underlying stock price, stated strike price, warrant expiration date, risk-free interest rate based on a duration-matched U.S. Treasury rate, and market-observable company-specific equity volatility as inputs to value the warrants. Due to the observable nature of the inputs used in deriving the estimated fair value, warrants from public companies are classified as Level 2. For warrants from private companies, the model uses inputs such as the offering price observed in the most recent round of funding, stated strike price, warrant expiration date, risk-free interest rate based on duration-matched U.S. Treasury rate and equity volatility. The Company applies proxy volatilities based on the industry sectors of the private companies. The model values are then adjusted for a general lack of liquidity due to the private nature of the underlying companies. Since both equity volatility and liquidity discount assumptions are subject to management’s judgment, measurement uncertainty is inherent in the valuation of private company warrants. Due to the unobservable nature of the equity volatility and liquidity discount assumptions used in deriving the estimated fair value, warrants from private companies are classified as Level 3. On a quarterly basis, the changes in the fair value of warrants from private companies are reviewed for reasonableness, and a measurement of uncertainty analysis on the equity volatility and liquidity discount assumptions is performed.
In connection with the Company’s acquisition of a 49.99 % equity interest in Rayliant during the third quarter of 2023, the Company granted 349,138 performance-based RSUs as part of its consideration, in addition to $ 95 million in cash. The vesting of these equity contracts on September 1, 2028, is contingent on Rayliant meeting certain financial performance targets during the performance period. The fair value of liability-classified equity contracts varies based on the operating revenue and operating EBITDA of Rayliant to be achieved during the future performance period, and these performance-based RSUs are expected to vest into a variable number of the Company’s common stock, ranging from 20 % to 200 % of the target performance-based RSUs granted. Due to the unobservable nature of the input assumptions, these equity contracts are classified as Level 3. For additional information on the equity contracts, refer to Note 5 — Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
Commodity Contracts — Commodity contracts consist of swaps and options referencing commodity products. The fair value of the commodity option contracts is determined using the Black-Scholes model and assumptions that include expectations of future commodity price and volatility. The future commodity contract price is derived from observable inputs such as the market price of the commodity. Commodity swaps are structured as an exchange of fixed cash flows for floating cash flows. The fair value of the commodity swaps is determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash payments (or receipts) and the discounted expected variable cash receipts (or payments) based on the market prices of the commodity. The fixed cash flows are predetermined based on the known volumes and fixed price as specified in the swap agreement. The floating cash flows are correlated with the change of forward commodity prices, which is derived from market corroborated futures settlement prices. As a result, the Company classifies these derivative instruments as Level 2 due to the observable nature of the significant inputs utilized.
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The following tables present financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
as of December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Fair Value
AFS debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities $ 638,265 $ — $ — $ 638,265
U.S. government agency and U.S. government sponsored enterprise debt securities — 262,587 — 262,587
U.S. government agency and U.S. government sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities (1) :
Commercial mortgage-backed securities — 426,214 — 426,214
Residential mortgage-backed securities — 7,738,260 — 7,738,260
Municipal securities — 250,153 — 250,153
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities — 258,470 — 258,470
Residential mortgage-backed securities — 433,608 — 433,608
Corporate debt securities — 526,166 — 526,166
Foreign government bonds — 233,880 — 233,880
Asset-backed securities — 34,715 — 34,715
Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) — 44,493 — 44,493
Total AFS debt securities $ 638,265 $ 10,208,546 $ — $ 10,846,811
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net:
Equity securities $ 20,817 $ 4,204 $ — $ 25,021
Total affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net $ 20,817 $ 4,204 $ — $ 25,021
Other assets:
Equity securities (2)
$ 568 $ — $ — $ 568
Total other assets $ 568 $ — $ — $ 568
Derivative assets:
Interest rate contracts $ — $ 385,311 $ — $ 385,311
Foreign exchange contracts — 89,083 — 89,083
Credit contracts — 1 — 1
Equity contracts — — 239 239
Commodity contracts — 48,499 — 48,499
Gross derivative assets $ — $ 522,894 $ 239 $ 523,133
Netting adjustments (3)
$ — $ ( 427,292 ) $ — $ ( 427,292 )
Net derivative assets $ — $ 95,602 $ 239 $ 95,841
Derivative liabilities:
Interest rate contracts $ — $ 414,172 $ — $ 414,172
Foreign exchange contracts — 71,254 — 71,254
Equity contracts (4)
— — 15,119 15,119
Credit contracts — 12 — 12
Commodity contracts — 45,328 — 45,328
Gross derivative liabilities $ — $ 530,766 $ 15,119 $ 545,885
Netting adjustments (3)
$ — $ ( 112,284 ) $ — $ ( 112,284 )
Net derivative liabilities $ — $ 418,482 $ 15,119 $ 433,601
Refer to footnotes on the following page.
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Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
as of December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Fair Value
AFS debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities $ 1,060,375 $ — $ — $ 1,060,375
U.S. government agency and U.S. government sponsored enterprise debt securities — 364,446 — 364,446
U.S. government agency and U.S. government sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities (1) :
Commercial mortgage-backed securities — 468,259 — 468,259
Residential mortgage-backed securities — 1,727,594 — 1,727,594
Municipal securities — 261,016 — 261,016
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities — 367,516 — 367,516
Residential mortgage-backed securities — 553,671 — 553,671
Corporate debt securities — 502,425 — 502,425
Foreign government bonds — 227,874 — 227,874
Asset-backed securities — 42,300 — 42,300
CLOs — 612,861 — 612,861
Total AFS debt securities $ 1,060,375 $ 5,127,962 $ — $ 6,188,337
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net:
Equity securities $ 20,509 $ 4,150 $ — $ 24,659
Total affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net $ 20,509 $ 4,150 $ — $ 24,659
Derivative assets:
Interest rate contracts $ — $ 473,907 $ — $ 473,907
Foreign exchange contracts — 57,072 — 57,072
Credit contracts — 1 — 1
Equity contracts — — 336 336
Commodity contracts — 79,604 — 79,604
Gross derivative assets $ — $ 610,584 $ 336 $ 610,920
Netting adjustments (3)
$ — $ ( 312,792 ) $ — $ ( 312,792 )
Net derivative assets $ — $ 297,792 $ 336 $ 298,128
Derivative liabilities:
Interest rate contracts $ — $ 433,936 $ — $ 433,936
Foreign exchange contracts — 42,564 — 42,564
Equity contract (4)
$ — $ — $ 15,119 $ 15,119
Credit contracts — 25 — 25
Commodity contracts — 121,670 — 121,670
Gross derivative liabilities $ — $ 598,195 $ 15,119 $ 613,314
Netting adjustments (3)
$ — $ ( 76,170 ) $ — $ ( 76,170 )
Net derivative liabilities $ — $ 522,025 $ 15,119 $ 537,144
(1) Includes Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) AFS debt securities totaling $ 7.2 billion and $ 1.2 billion of fair value as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(2) Consists of exchange-traded equity securities. For additional information, see Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis — Equity Securities in Note 2 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments in this Form 10-K.
(3) Represents the balance sheet netting of derivative assets and liabilities and related cash collateral under master netting agreements or similar agreements. See Note 5 — Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for additional information.
(4) Equity contracts classified as derivative liabilities consist of performance-based RSUs granted as part of EWBC’s consideration in its investment in Rayliant.
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For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, Level 3 fair value measurements that were measured on a recurring basis consisted of warrant equity contracts issued by private companies and liability-classified contingently issuable shares of the Company. The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of these equity contracts for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Derivative assets:
Equity contracts
Beginning balance $ 336 $ 323 $ 215
Total (losses) gains included in earnings (1)
( 97 ) ( 79 ) 17
Issuances — 92 91
Ending balance $ 239 $ 336 $ 323
Derivative liabilities:
Equity contracts (2)
Beginning balance $ 15,119 $ — $ —
Issuances — 15,119 —
Ending balance $ 15,119 $ 15,119 $ —
(1) Includes unrealized (losses) gains recorded in Lending fees on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
(2) Equity contracts classified as derivative liabilities consist of performance-based RSUs granted as part of EWBC’s consideration in its investment in Rayliant.
The following table presents quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in the valuation of Level 3 fair value measurements as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. The significant unobservable inputs presented in the table below are those that the Company considers significant to the fair value of the Level 3 assets. The Company considers unobservable inputs to be significant if, by their exclusion, the fair value of the Level 3 assets would be impacted by a predetermined percentage change.
($ in thousands) Fair Value Measurements (Level 3) Valuation Technique Unobservable Inputs Range of Inputs Weighted- Average of Inputs
December 31, 2024
Derivative assets:
Equity contracts $ 239 Black-Scholes option pricing model Equity volatility 38 % — 57 %
50 % (1)
Liquidity discount 47 % 47 %
Derivative liabilities:
Equity contracts (2)
$ 15,119 Internal model Payout % designated based on operating revenue and operating EBITDA of investee 84 % 84 %
December 31, 2023
Derivative assets:
Equity contracts $ 336 Black-Scholes option pricing model Equity volatility 37 % — 48 %
45 % (1)
Liquidity discount 47 % 47 %
Derivative liabilities:
Equity contracts (2)
$ 15,119 Internal model Payout % designated based on operating revenue and operating EBITDA of investee 84 % 84 %
(1) Weighted-average of inputs is calculated based on the fair value of equity contracts as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
(2) Equity contracts classified as derivative liabilities consist of performance-based RSUs granted as part of EWBC’s consideration in its investment in Rayliant.
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Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
Assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis include certain individually evaluated loans held-for-investment, investments in affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, OREO, loans held-for-sale, and other nonperforming assets. Nonrecurring fair value adjustments result from the impairment on certain individually evaluated loans held-for-investment and investments in affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, from the write-downs of OREO and other nonperforming assets, or from the application of lower of cost or fair value on loans held-for-sale.
Individually Evaluated Loans Held-for-Investment — Individually evaluated loans held-for-investment are classified as Level 3 assets. The following two methods are used to derive the fair value of individually evaluated loans held-for-investment:
• Discounted cash flow valuation techniques consist of developing an expected stream of cash flows over the life of the loans, and then calculating the present value of the loans by discounting the expected cash flows at a designated discount rate.
• When the repayment of an individually evaluated loan is dependent on the sale of the collateral, the fair value of the loan is determined based on the fair value of the underlying collateral, which may take the form of real estate, inventory, equipment, contracts or guarantees. The fair value of the underlying collateral is generally based on third-party appraisals, or an internal valuation if a third-party appraisal is not required by regulations, or is unavailable. An internal valuation utilizes one or more valuation techniques such as the income, market and/or cost approaches.
Loans Held-for-Sale — Loans held-for-investment subsequently transferred to held-for-sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value upon transfer. Loans held-for-sale may be measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis when fair value is less than cost. Fair value is generally determined based on available market data for similar loans and therefore, loans held-for-sale are classified as Level 2.
Affordable Housing Partnership, Tax Credit and CRA Investments, Net — The Company conducts due diligence and secures applicable internal and external approval on its affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments prior to closing the investment and initial funding. Subsequent to closing, the Company continues its periodic monitoring process to ensure that book values are realizable, investment is performing as expected and there is no significant tax credit recapture risk. This monitoring process includes reviewing the investment entity’s financial statements, production reports and a nnual tax returns, the annual financial statements of the sponsor and guarantor (if any) and a comparison of the actual performance to plan based on the final financial model at the time of closing. The Company assesses its tax credit and other investments for possible OTTI on an annual basis or when events or circumstances suggest that the carrying amount of the investments may not be realizable. These circumstances can include, but are not limited to the following factors:
• expected future cash flows that are less than the carrying amoun t of the investment;
• changes in the economic, market or technological environment that could adversely affect the investee’s operations;
• the potential for tax credit recapture; and
• other factors that raise doubt about the investee’s ability to continue as a going concern, such as negative cash flows from operations and the continuing prospects of the underlying operations of the investment.
All available information is considered in assessing whether a decline in value is other-than-temporary. Generally, none of the aforementioned factors are individually conclusive and the relative importance placed on individual facts may vary depending on the situation. In accordance with ASC 323-10-35-32, Investments — Equity Method and Joint Ventures, an impairment charge would only be recognized in earnings for a decline in value that is determined to be other-than-temporary.
Other Real Estate Owned — The Company’s OREO represents properties acquired through foreclosure, or through full or partial satisfaction of loans held-for-investment such as an acceptance of a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. These OREO properties are recorded at estimated fair value less the costs to sell at the time of foreclosure or at the lower of cost or estimated fair value less the costs to sell subsequent to acquisition. On a monthly basis, the current fair market value of each OREO property is reviewed to ensure that the current carrying value is appropriate. OREO properties are classified as Level 3.
104
Other Nonperforming Assets — Other nonperforming assets are recorded at fair value upon transfer from loans to foreclosed assets. Subsequently, foreclosed assets are recorded at the lower of carrying value or fair value. Fair value is based on independent market prices, appraised values of the collateral or management’s estimated recovery of the foreclosed asset. The Company records an impairment when the foreclosed asset’s fair value declines below its carrying value. The fair value measurement of other nonperforming assets is classified within one of the three levels in a valuation hierarchy based upon the observability of inputs to the valuation as of the measurement date.
The following tables present the carrying amounts of assets that were still held and had fair value adjustments measured on a nonrecurring basis as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
as of December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
Loans held-for-investment:
Commercial:
C&I $ — $ — $ 48,384 $ 48,384
CRE:
CRE — — 1,678 1,678
Construction and land — — 11,316 11,316
Total commercial — — 61,378 61,378
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
Single-family residential
— — 108 108
Total consumer — — 108 108
Total loans held-for-investment $ — $ — $ 61,486 $ 61,486
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net $ — $ — $ 5,000 $ 5,000
OREO (1)
$ — $ — $ 19,386 $ 19,386
(1) Represents the carrying value of OREO property that was written down subsequent to its initial classification as OREO and is included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
as of December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
Loans held-for-investment:
Commercial:
C&I $ — $ — $ 22,035 $ 22,035
CRE:
CRE — — 22,653 22,653
Total commercial — — 44,688 44,688
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
HELOCs — — 1,204 1,204
Total consumer — — 1,204 1,204
Total loans held-for-investment $ — $ — $ 45,892 $ 45,892
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net $ — $ — $ 868 $ 868
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The following table presents the change in the fair value of certain assets held at the end of the respective reporting periods, for which a nonrecurring fair value adjustment was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Loans held-for-investment:
Commercial:
C&I $ ( 43,754 ) $ ( 6,152 ) $ ( 25,996 )
CRE:
CRE ( 78 ) ( 1,183 ) ( 7,098 )
Construction and land ( 2,289 ) — —
Total CRE ( 2,367 ) ( 1,183 ) ( 7,098 )
Total commercial ( 46,121 ) ( 7,335 ) ( 33,094 )
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
Single-family residential ( 1,392 ) — —
HELOCs — ( 40 ) 166
Total residential mortgage ( 1,392 ) ( 40 ) 166
Total consumer ( 1,392 ) ( 40 ) 166
Total loans held-for-investment $ ( 47,513 ) $ ( 7,375 ) $ ( 32,928 )
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net $ ( 685 ) $ ( 1,140 ) $ 469
OREO $ ( 7,735 ) $ — $ —
Other nonperforming assets $ — $ — $ ( 6,861 )
The following table presents the quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in the valuation of Level 3 fair value measurements that are measured on a nonrecurring basis as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
($ in thousands) Fair Value Measurements (Level 3) Valuation Techniques Unobservable Inputs Range of Inputs Weighted-Average of Inputs
December 31, 2024
Loans held-for-investment $ 910 Fair value of collateral Discount 50 %
50 %
$ 22,993 Fair value of collateral Contract value NM NM
$ 37,583 Fair value of property Selling cost 8 % — 20 %
10 % (1)
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net $ 5,000 Individual analysis of each investment Expected future tax
benefits and distributions NM NM
OREO $ 19,386 Fair value of property Selling cost 8 % 8 %
December 31, 2023
Loans held-for-investment $ 16,328 Fair value of collateral Discount 15 % — 75 %
45 % (1)
$ 3,009 Fair value of collateral Contract value NM NM
$ 26,555 Fair value of property Selling cost 8 %
8 %
Affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net $ 868 Individual analysis of each investment Expected future tax
benefits and distributions NM NM
NM - Not meaningful
(1) Weighted-average of inputs is based on the relative fair value of the respective assets as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023.
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Disclosures about the Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The following tables present the fair value estimates for financial instruments as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, excluding financial instruments recorded at fair value on a recurring basis as they are included in the tables presented elsewhere in this Note. The carrying amounts in the following tables are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet under the indicated captions, except for accrued interest receivable, restricted equity securities, at cost, and mortgage servicing rights that are included in Other assets , and accrued interest payable which is included in Accrued expenses and other liabilities . These financial instruments are measured on an amortized cost basis on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.
December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Carrying Amount Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Estimated Fair Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,250,742 $ 5,250,742 $ — $ — $ 5,250,742
Interest-bearing deposits with banks $ 48,198 $ — $ 48,198 $ — $ 48,198
Resale agreements $ 425,000 $ — $ 329,769 $ — $ 329,769
HTM debt securities $ 2,917,413 $ 499,858 $ 1,887,896 $ — $ 2,387,754
Restricted equity securities, at cost $ 165,259 $ — $ 165,259 $ — $ 165,259
Loans held-for-investment, net $ 53,024,585 $ — $ — $ 51,328,254 $ 51,328,254
Mortgage servicing rights $ 5,234 $ — $ — $ 8,822 $ 8,822
Accrued interest receivable $ 316,392 $ — $ 316,392 $ — $ 316,392
Financial liabilities:
Demand, checking, savings and money market deposits $ 39,959,251 $ — $ 39,959,251 $ — $ 39,959,251
Time deposits $ 23,215,772 $ — $ 23,225,317 $ — $ 23,225,317
FHLB advances $ 3,500,000 $ — $ 3,497,953 $ — $ 3,497,953
Long-term debt $ 32,001 $ — $ 31,246 $ — $ 31,246
Accrued interest payable $ 61,950 $ — $ 61,950 $ — $ 61,950
December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Carrying Amount Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Estimated Fair Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,614,984 $ 4,614,984 $ — $ — $ 4,614,984
Interest-bearing deposits with banks $ 10,498 $ — $ 10,498 $ — $ 10,498
Resale agreements $ 785,000 $ — $ 699,056 $ — $ 699,056
HTM debt securities $ 2,956,040 $ 488,551 $ 1,965,420 $ — $ 2,453,971
Restricted equity securities, at cost $ 79,811 $ — $ 79,811 $ — $ 79,811
Loans held-for-sale $ 116 $ — $ 116 $ — $ 116
Loans held-for-investment, net $ 51,542,039 $ — $ — $ 50,256,565 $ 50,256,565
Mortgage servicing rights $ 6,602 $ — $ — $ 9,470 $ 9,470
Accrued interest receivable $ 331,490 $ — $ 331,490 $ — $ 331,490
Financial liabilities:
Demand, checking, savings and money market deposits $ 38,048,974 $ — $ 38,048,974 $ — $ 38,048,974
Time deposits $ 18,043,464 $ — $ 18,004,951 $ — $ 18,004,951
BTFP borrowings
$ 4,500,000 $ — $ 4,500,000 $ — $ 4,500,000
Long-term debt $ 148,249 $ — $ 150,896 $ — $ 150,896
Accrued interest payable $ 205,430 $ — $ 205,430 $ — $ 205,430
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Note 3 — Securities Purchased under Resale Agreements
The Company’s resale agreements expose it to credit risk from both the counterparties and the underlying collateral. The Company manages credit exposure from certain transactions by entering into master netting agreements and collateral arrangements with the counterparties. The relevant agreements allow for an efficient closeout of the transaction, liquidation and set-off of collateral against the net amount owed by the counterparty following a default. It is the Company’s policy to take possession, where possible, of the assets underlying resale agreements. As a result of the Company’s credit risk mitigation practices with respect to resale agreements as described above, the Company did not hold any reserves for credit impairment with respect to these agreements as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Total securities purchased under resale agreements were $ 425 million and $ 785 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The weighted-average yields were 2.17 %, 2.87 % and 2.12 % for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Balance Sheet Offsetting
The Company’s resale and repurchase agreements are transacted under legally enforceable master netting agreements that, in the event of default by the counterparty, provide the Company the right to liquidate securities held and to offset receivables and payables with the same counterparty. The Company nets resale and repurchase transactions with the same counterparty on the Consolidated Balance Sheet when it has a legally enforceable master netting agreement and the transactions are eligible for netting under ASC 210-20-45-11, Balance Sheet Offsetting: Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreements . Collateral received includes securities and loans that are not recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Collateral pledged consists of securities that are not netted on the Consolidated Balance Sheet against the related collateralized liability. Securities received or pledged as collateral in resale and repurchase agreements with other financial institutions may also be sold or re-pledged by the secured party, and are usually delivered to and held by third-party trustees.
The following table presents the resale agreements included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
($ in thousands) Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets Gross Amounts Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet Net Amounts of Assets Presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet Collateral Received (1)
Net Amount
Resale agreements as of December 31, 2024
$ 425,000 $ — $ 425,000 $ ( 329,603 ) $ 95,397
Resale agreements as of December 31, 2023
$ 785,000 $ — $ 785,000 $ ( 715,358 ) $ 69,642
(1) Represents the fair value of assets the Company has received under resale agreements, limited for table presentation purposes to the amount of the recognized asset due from each counterparty. The application of collateral cannot reduce the net position below zero. Therefore, excess collateral, if any, is not reflected above.
In addition to the amounts included in the table above, the Company also has balance sheet netting related to derivatives. Refer to Note 5 — Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for additional information.
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Note 4 — Securities
The following tables present the amortized cost, gross unrealized gains and losses, and fair value by major categories of AFS and HTM debt securities as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Amortized Cost (1)
Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value
AFS debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities $ 676,300 $ — $ ( 38,035 ) $ 638,265
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities 308,220 — ( 45,633 ) 262,587
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities (2) :
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 472,535 886 ( 47,207 ) 426,214
Residential mortgage-backed securities 7,974,768 12,278 ( 248,786 ) 7,738,260
Municipal securities
287,301 38 ( 37,186 ) 250,153
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 294,235 2 ( 35,767 ) 258,470
Residential mortgage-backed securities 514,527 — ( 80,919 ) 433,608
Corporate debt securities 653,500 — ( 127,334 ) 526,166
Foreign government bonds 244,803 2,069 ( 12,992 ) 233,880
Asset-backed securities 35,086 — ( 371 ) 34,715
CLOs 44,500 — ( 7 ) 44,493
Total AFS debt securities 11,505,775 15,273 ( 674,237 ) 10,846,811
HTM debt securities
U.S. Treasury securities 535,080 — ( 35,222 ) 499,858
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities 1,004,479 — ( 200,259 ) 804,220
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities (3) :
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 486,388 — ( 91,461 ) 394,927
Residential mortgage-backed securities 703,833 — ( 155,626 ) 548,207
Municipal securities 187,633 — ( 47,091 ) 140,542
Total HTM debt securities 2,917,413 — ( 529,659 ) 2,387,754
Total debt securities $ 14,423,188 $ 15,273 $ ( 1,203,896 ) $ 13,234,565
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December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Amortized Cost (1)
Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value
AFS debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities $ 1,112,587 $ 101 $ ( 52,313 ) $ 1,060,375
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities 412,086 — ( 47,640 ) 364,446
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities (2) :
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 531,377 158 ( 63,276 ) 468,259
Residential mortgage-backed securities 1,956,927 380 ( 229,713 ) 1,727,594
Municipal securities 297,283 75 ( 36,342 ) 261,016
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 409,578 — ( 42,062 ) 367,516
Residential mortgage-backed securities 643,335 —
( 89,664 ) 553,671
Corporate debt securities 653,501 — ( 151,076 ) 502,425
Foreign government bonds 239,333 69 ( 11,528 ) 227,874
Asset-backed securities 43,234 — ( 934 ) 42,300
CLOs 617,250 — ( 4,389 ) 612,861
Total AFS debt securities 6,916,491 783 ( 728,937 ) 6,188,337
HTM debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities 529,548 — ( 40,997 ) 488,551
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities 1,001,836 — ( 186,904 ) 814,932
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities (3) :
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 493,348 — ( 88,968 ) 404,380
Residential mortgage-backed securities 742,436 — ( 142,119 ) 600,317
Municipal securities 188,872 — ( 43,081 ) 145,791
Total HTM debt securities 2,956,040 — ( 502,069 ) 2,453,971
Total debt securities 9,872,531 783 ( 1,231,006 ) 8,642,308
(1) Amortized cost excludes accrued interest receivables, which are included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the accrued interest receivables were $ 45 million and $ 44 million, respectively. For the Company’s accounting policy related to debt securities’ accrued interest receivable, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Allowance for Credit Losses on Available-for-Sale Debt Securities and Allowance for Credit Losses on Held-to-Maturity Debt Securities to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
(2) Includes GNMA AFS debt securities totaling $ 7.3 billion of amortized cost and $ 7.2 billion of fair value as of December 31, 2024, and $ 1.3 billion of amortized cost and $ 1.2 billion of fair value as of December 31, 2023.
(3) Includes GNMA HTM debt securities totaling $ 86 million of amortized cost and $ 68 million of fair value as of December 31, 2024, and $ 92 million of amortized cost and $ 75 million of fair value as of December 31, 2023.
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Unrealized Losses of Available-for-Sale Debt Securities
The following tables present the fair value and the associated gross unrealized losses of the Company’s AFS debt securities, aggregated by investment category and the length of time that the securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position, as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31, 2024
Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or More Total
($ in thousands) Fair Value Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value Gross Unrealized Losses
AFS debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities $ — $ — $ 638,265 $ ( 38,035 ) $ 638,265 $ ( 38,035 )
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities — — 262,587 ( 45,633 ) 262,587 ( 45,633 )
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 2,741 ( 30 ) 377,756 ( 47,177 ) 380,497 ( 47,207 )
Residential mortgage-backed securities 2,719,228 ( 16,404 ) 1,528,252 ( 232,382 ) 4,247,480 ( 248,786 )
Municipal securities 2,763 ( 95 ) 245,360 ( 37,091 ) 248,123 ( 37,186 )
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 10,767 ( 332 ) 235,668 ( 35,435 ) 246,435 ( 35,767 )
Residential mortgage-backed securities — — 433,608 ( 80,919 ) 433,608 ( 80,919 )
Corporate debt securities — — 526,166 ( 127,334 ) 526,166 ( 127,334 )
Foreign government bonds — — 87,008 ( 12,992 ) 87,008 ( 12,992 )
Asset-backed securities — — 34,715 ( 371 ) 34,715 ( 371 )
CLOs — — 44,493 ( 7 ) 44,493 ( 7 )
Total AFS debt securities $ 2,735,499 $ ( 16,861 ) $ 4,413,878 $ ( 657,376 ) $ 7,149,377 $ ( 674,237 )
December 31, 2023
Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or More Total
($ in thousands) Fair Value Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value Gross Unrealized Losses
AFS debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities $ — $ — $ 623,978 $ ( 52,313 ) $ 623,978 $ ( 52,313 )
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities — — 364,446 ( 47,640 ) 364,446 ( 47,640 )
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities — — 463,572 ( 63,276 ) 463,572 ( 63,276 )
Residential mortgage-backed securities 9,402 ( 558 ) 1,661,112 ( 229,155 ) 1,670,514 ( 229,713 )
Municipal securities 2,825 ( 15 ) 254,773 ( 36,327 ) 257,598 ( 36,342 )
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities:
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 2,742 ( 4 ) 364,774 ( 42,058 ) 367,516 ( 42,062 )
Residential mortgage-backed securities — — 553,671 ( 89,664 ) 553,671 ( 89,664 )
Corporate debt securities — — 502,425 ( 151,076 ) 502,425 ( 151,076 )
Foreign government bonds 110,955 ( 144 ) 88,616 ( 11,384 ) 199,571 ( 11,528 )
Asset-backed securities — — 42,300 ( 934 ) 42,300 ( 934 )
CLOs — — 612,861 ( 4,389 ) 612,861 ( 4,389 )
Total AFS debt securities $ 125,924 $ ( 721 ) $ 5,532,528 $ ( 728,216 ) $ 5,658,452 $ ( 728,937 )
111
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had 541 AFS debt securities in a gross unrealized loss position with no credit impairment, primarily consisting of 290 U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities, 66 corporate debt securities, and 83 non-agency mortgage-backed securities. In comparison, as of December 31, 2023, the Company had 547 AFS debt securities in a gross unrealized loss position with no credit impairment, primarily consisting of 255 U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities, 66 corporate debt securities, and 99 non-agency mortgage-backed securities.
Allowance for Credit Losses on Available-for-Sale Debt Securities
The Company evaluates each AFS debt security where the fair value declines below amortized cost. For a discussion of the factors and criteria the Company uses in analyzing securities for impairment related to credit losses, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Allowance for Credit Losses on Available-for-Sale Debt Securities to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The gross unrealized losses presented in the preceding tables were primarily attributable to interest rate movement and the widening of liquidity and/or credit spreads. U.S. Treasury, U.S. government agency, U.S. government-sponsored agency, and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt and mortgage-backed securities are issued, guaranteed, or otherwise supported by the U.S. government and have a zero credit loss assumption. The remaining securities that were in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2024 were mainly comprised of the following:
• Corporate debt securities — The market value decline as of December 31, 2024 was primarily due to interest rate movement and spread widening. A portion of the corporate debt securities is comprised of subordinated debt securities issued by U.S. banks. Despite the reduction of the market value of these securities after the banking sector disruption in 2023, these securities are nearly all rated investment grade by NRSROs and issued by well-capitalized financial institutions with strong profitability. The contractual payments from these corporate debt securities have been and are expected to be received on time. The Company will continue to monitor the market developments in the banking sector and the credit performance of these securities.
• Non-agency mortgage-backed securities — The market value decline as of December 31, 2024, was primarily due to interest rate movement and spread widening. Since these securities are rated investment grade by NRSROs, or have high priority in the cash flow waterfall within the securitization structure, and the contractual payments have historically been on time, the Company believes the risk of credit losses on these securities is low.
As of both December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company intended to hold the AFS debt securities with unrealized losses through the anticipated recovery period and it was more-likely-than-not that the Company would not have to sell these securities before the recovery of their amortized cost. The issuers of these securities have not, to the Company’s knowledge, established any cause for default on these securities. As a result, the Company expects to recover the entire amortized cost basis of these securities. Accordingly, there was no allowance for credit losses provided against these securities as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023. In addition, there was no provision for credit losses recognized for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Allowance for Credit Losses on Held-to-Maturity Debt Securities
The Company separately evaluates its HTM debt securities for any credit losses using an expected loss model, similar to the methodology used for loans. For additional information on the Company’s credit loss methodology, refer to Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Allowance for Credit Losses on Held-to-Maturity Debt Securities to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The Company monitors the credit quality of the HTM debt securities using external credit ratings. As of December 31, 2024, all HTM securities were rated investment grade by NRSROs and issued, guaranteed, or supported by U.S. government entities and agencies. Accordingly, the Company applied a zero credit loss assumption and no allowance for credit losses was recorded as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Overall, the Company believes that the credit support levels of the debt securities are strong and, based on current assessments and macroeconomic forecasts, expects that full contractual cash flows will be received.
112
Realized Gains and Losses
The following table presents the gross realized gains from the sales and impairment write-off of AFS debt securities and the related tax expense (benefit) included in earnings for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Gross realized gains from sales (1)
$ 2,069 $ 3,138 $ 1,306
Impairment write-off (1)
$ — $ ( 10,000 ) $ —
Related tax expense (benefit)
$ 612 $ ( 2,029 ) $ 386
(1) During 2023, the Company recognized $ 7 million in net losses on AFS securities as a component of Noninterest income in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income, consisting of a $ 10 million impairment write-off on a subordinated debt security, partially offset by a $ 3 million gain on the sale of the same security.
Interest Income
The following table presents the composition of interest income on debt securities for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Taxable interest $ 429,003 $ 255,475 $ 179,720
Nontaxable interest 20,062 20,715 19,186
Total interest income on debt securities $ 449,065 $ 276,190 $ 198,906
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Contractual Maturities of Available-for-Sale and Held-to-Maturity Debt Securities
The following tables present the contractual maturities, amortized cost, fair value and weighted average yields of AFS and HTM debt securities as of December 31, 2024. Expected maturities will differ from contractual maturities on certain securities as the issuers and borrowers of the underlying collateral may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without prepayment penalties.
($ in thousands) Within One Year After One Year through Five Years
After Five Years through Ten Years After Ten Years Total
AFS debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities
Amortized cost $ 84,143 $ 592,157 $ — $ — $ 676,300
Fair value 83,367 554,898 — — 638,265
Weighted-average yield (1)
2.23 % 1.06 % — % — % 1.21 %
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities
Amortized cost 17,972 27,030 201,546 61,672 308,220
Fair value 17,595 25,492 169,448 50,052 262,587
Weighted-average yield (1)
1.06 % 1.13 % 2.01 % 2.00 % 1.87 %
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities
Amortized cost 8,037 54,584 125,704 8,258,978 8,447,303
Fair value 7,990 51,845 114,109 7,990,530 8,164,474
Weighted-average yield (1) (2)
3.24 % 2.89 % 2.79 % 5.13 % 5.07 %
Municipal securities
Amortized cost 5,657 26,502 8,114 247,028 287,301
Fair value 5,558 25,160 7,394 212,041 250,153
Weighted-average yield (1) (2)
2.25 % 2.14 % 3.38 % 2.23 % 2.25 %
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities
Amortized cost 39,936 7,671 6,220 754,935 808,762
Fair value 39,337 7,605 6,207 638,929 692,078
Weighted-average yield (1)
3.67 % 2.95 % 5.53 % 2.40 % 2.49 %
Corporate debt securities
Amortized cost — — 349,500 304,000 653,500
Fair value — — 311,947 214,219 526,166
Weighted average yield (1)
— % — % 3.50 % 1.97 % 2.79 %
Foreign government bonds
Amortized cost 26,241 118,562 50,000 50,000 244,803
Fair value 26,305 120,567 49,743 37,265 233,880
Weighted-average yield (1)
3.24 % 2.22 % 5.01 % 1.50 % 2.75 %
Asset-backed securities
Amortized cost — — — 35,086 35,086
Fair value — — — 34,715 34,715
Weighted-average yield (1)
— % — % — % 5.37 % 5.37 %
CLOs
Amortized cost — — 44,500 — 44,500
Fair value — — 44,493 — 44,493
Weighted average yield (1)
— % — % 6.08 % — % 6.08 %
Total AFS debt securities
Amortized cost $ 181,986 $ 826,506 $ 785,584 $ 9,711,699 $ 11,505,775
Fair value $ 180,152 $ 785,567 $ 703,341 $ 9,177,751 $ 10,846,811
Weighted-average yield (1)
2.62 % 1.40 % 3.26 % 4.70 % 4.33 %
114
($ in thousands) Within One Year After One Year through Five Years
After Five Years through Ten Years After Ten Years Total
HTM debt securities:
U.S. Treasury securities
Amortized cost $ — $ 535,080 $ — $ — $ 535,080
Fair value — 499,858 — — 499,858
Weighted-average yield (1)
— % 1.05 % — % — % 1.05 %
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise debt securities
Amortized cost — — 371,825 632,654 1,004,479
Fair value — — 316,243 487,977 804,220
Weighted-average yield (1)
— % — % 1.89 % 1.90 % 1.90 %
U.S. government agency and U.S. government-sponsored enterprise mortgage-backed securities
Amortized cost — 3,663 94,280 1,092,278 1,190,221
Fair value — 3,371 80,374 859,389 943,134
Weighted-average yield (1) (2)
— % 1.42 % 1.62 % 1.69 % 1.68 %
Municipal securities
Amortized cost — — — 187,633 187,633
Fair value — — — 140,542 140,542
Weighted-average yield (1) (2)
— % — % — % 2.01 % 2.01 %
Total HTM debt securities
Amortized cost $ — $ 538,743 $ 466,105 $ 1,912,565 $ 2,917,413
Fair value $ — $ 503,229 $ 396,617 $ 1,487,908 $ 2,387,754
Weighted-average yield (1)
— % 1.05 % 1.83 % 1.79 % 1.66 %
(1) Weighted-average yields are computed based on amortized cost balances.
(2) Yields on tax-exempt securities are not presented on a tax-equivalent basis.
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, AFS and HTM debt securities with carrying values of $ 5.4 billion and $ 7.0 billion, respectively, were pledged to secure borrowings, public deposits, repurchase agreements and for other purposes required or permitted by law.
Restricted Equity Securities
The following table presents the restricted equity securities included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023
FRB of San Francisco stock
$ 63,930 $ 62,561
FHLB stock 101,329 17,250
Total restricted equity securities $ 165,259 $ 79,811
Note 5 — Derivatives
The Company uses derivative instruments to manage exposure to market risk, primarily interest rate and foreign currency risks, as well as to assist customers with their risk management objectives. The Company’s goal is to manage interest rate sensitivity and volatility to mitigate the effect of interest rate changes on earnings or capital. The Company also uses foreign exchange contracts to manage the foreign exchange rate risk associated with certain foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities, as well as the Bank’s investment in East West Bank (China) Limited. The Company recognizes all derivatives on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair value. While the Company designates certain derivatives as hedging instruments in a qualifying hedge accounting relationship, other derivatives serve as economic hedges. For additional information on the Company’s derivatives and hedging activities, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
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The following table presents the notional amounts and fair values of the Company’s derivatives as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Certain derivative contracts are cleared though central clearing organizations where variation margin is applied daily as settlement to the fair values of the contracts. The fair values are presented on a gross basis prior to the application of bilateral collateral and master netting agreements, but after the application of variation margin payments as settlement to fair values of contracts cleared through central clearing organizations. Applying variation margin payments as settlement to the fair values of derivative contracts cleared through the London Clearing House (“LCH”) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) resulted in reductions in the derivative asset and liability fair values of $ 17 million and $ 15 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2024. In comparison, applying variation margin payments as settlement to LCH- and CME-cleared derivative transactions resulted in reductions in both the derivative asset and liability fair values of $ 43 million as of December 31, 2023. Total derivative asset and liability fair values are adjusted to reflect the effects of legally enforceable master netting agreements and cash collateral received or paid. The resulting net derivative asset and liability fair values are included in Other assets and Accrued expenses and other liabilities , respectively, on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
Fair Value Fair Value
($ in thousands) Notional Amount Assets Liabilities Notional Amount Assets Liabilities
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate contracts $ 5,250,000 $ 5,647 $ 35,211 $ 5,250,000 $ 50,421 $ 13,124
Net investment hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts — — — 81,480 3,394 —
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 5,250,000 $ 5,647 $ 35,211 $ 5,331,480 $ 53,815 $ 13,124
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate contracts $ 17,005,381 $ 379,664 $ 378,961 $ 17,387,909 $ 423,486 $ 420,812
Commodity contracts (1)
— 48,499 45,328 — 79,604 121,670
Foreign exchange contracts 5,201,460 89,083 71,254 5,827,149 53,678 42,564
Credit contracts (2)
168,999 1 12 118,391 1 25
Equity contracts — 239 (3) 15,119 (4) — 336 (3) 15,119 (4)
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments $ 22,375,840 $ 517,486 $ 510,674 $ 23,333,449 $ 557,105 $ 600,190
Gross derivative assets/liabilities $ 523,133 $ 545,885 $ 610,920 $ 613,314
Less: Master netting agreements ( 111,124 ) ( 111,124 ) ( 75,534 ) ( 75,534 )
Less: Cash collateral received/paid ( 316,168 ) ( 1,160 ) ( 237,258 ) ( 636 )
Net derivative assets/liabilities $ 95,841 $ 433,601 $ 298,128 $ 537,144
(1) The notional amount of the Company’s commodity contracts totaled 20,614 thousand barrels of crude oil and 406,726 thousand units of natural gas, measured in million British thermal units (“MMBTUs”) as of December 31, 2024. In comparison, the notional amount of the Company’s commodity contracts totaled 18,631 thousand barrels of crude oil and 328,844 thousand MMBTUs of natural gas as of December 31, 2023.
(2) The notional amount for credit contracts reflects the Company’s pro-rata share of the notional amount in the derivative instruments in RPAs.
(3) The Company held equity contracts in eight private companies and no public company as of December 31, 2024, and 11 private companies and one public company as of December 31, 2023.
(4) Equity contracts classified as derivative liabilities consist of 349,138 performance-based RSUs granted as part of EWBC’s consideration in its investment in Rayliant.
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Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
Cash Flow Hedges — The Company uses interest rate swaps to hedge the variability in the interest amount received on certain floating-rate commercial loans, or paid on certain floating-rate borrowings due to changes in contractually specified interest rates. As of December 31, 2024, interest rate contracts with total notional amount of $ 5.3 billion were designated as cash flow hedges to convert certain variable-rate loans from floating-rate payments to fixed-rate payments. Gains and losses on the hedging derivative instruments are recognized in AOCI and reclassified to earnings in the same period the hedged cash flows impact earnings and within the same income statement line item as the hedged cash flows. Considering the interest rates, yield curve and notional amounts as of December 31, 2024, the Company expects to reclassify an estimated $ 11 million of after-tax net losses on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges from AOCI into earnings during the next 12 months.
The following table presents the pre-tax changes in AOCI from cash flow hedges for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. The after-tax impact of cash flow hedges on AOCI is shown in Note 15 — Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Losses recognized in AOCI:
Interest rate contracts
$ ( 124,382 ) $ ( 5,767 ) $ ( 74,069 )
Gains (losses) reclassified from AOCI into earnings:
Interest expense (for cash flow hedges on borrowings) $ — $ 696 $ 3,200
Interest and dividend income (for cash flow hedges on loans) ( 91,083 ) ( 82,153 ) ( 7,204 )
Noninterest income — 1,614 (1) —
Total $ ( 91,083 ) $ ( 79,843 ) $ ( 4,004 )
(1) Represents the amounts in AOCI reclassified into earnings resulting from forecasted cash flows that were no longer probable to occur.
Net Investment Hedges — The Company enters into foreign currency forward contracts to hedge a portion of the Bank’s investment in East West Bank (China) Limited, a non-USD functional currency subsidiary in China. The hedging instruments designated as net investment hedges were used to hedge against the risk of adverse changes in the foreign currency exchange rate of the RMB. The following table presents the pre-tax gains (losses) recognized in AOCI on net investment hedges for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Gains recognized in AOCI
$ 586 $ 2,571 $ 4,509
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
Customer-Related Positions and Economic Hedge Derivatives — The Company enters into interest rate, commodity, and foreign exchange derivatives at the request of its customers and generally enters into offsetting derivative contracts with third-party financial institutions to mitigate the inherent market risk. The Company also utilizes foreign exchange contracts to mitigate the effect of currency fluctuations on certain foreign currency-denominated on-balance sheet assets and liabilities, primarily foreign currency denominated deposits that it offers to its customers. A majority of the foreign exchange contracts had original maturities of one year or less as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023.
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The following table presents the notional amounts and the gross fair values of the interest rate and foreign exchange derivatives entered into with customers and with third-party financial institutions as economic hedges to customers’ positions as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
Fair Value Fair Value
($ in thousands) Notional Amount Assets Liabilities Notional Amount Assets Liabilities
Customer-related positions:
Interest rate contracts:
Swaps $ 6,854,372 $ 11,828 $ 361,256 $ 6,835,822 $ 25,649 $ 377,388
Written options 1,458,428 — 4,953 1,522,531 — 12,756
Collars and corridors 181,039 80 440 322,732 440 4,481
Subtotal 8,493,839 11,908 366,649 8,681,085 26,089 394,625
Foreign exchange contracts:
Forwards and spot 996,486 11,693 24,201 956,618 9,466 6,756
Swaps 1,504,469 16,117 25,366 1,588,491 5,801 18,118
Purchased options
— — — 136,000 1,839 —
Subtotal 2,500,955 27,810 49,567 2,681,109 17,106 24,874
Total $ 10,994,794 $ 39,718 $ 416,216 $ 11,362,194 $ 43,195 $ 419,499
Economic hedges:
Interest rate contracts:
Swaps $ 6,872,075 $ 362,323 $ 12,228 $ 6,861,561 $ 380,123 $ 25,731
Purchased options 1,458,428 4,990 — 1,522,531 12,783 —
Collars and corridors
181,039 443 84 322,732 4,491 456
Subtotal 8,511,542 367,756 12,312 8,706,824 397,397 26,187
Foreign exchange contracts:
Forwards and spot 86,750 2,318 1,738 148,003 292 94
Swaps 2,613,755 58,955 19,949 2,862,037 36,280 15,757
Written options
— — — 136,000 — 1,839
Subtotal 2,700,505 61,273 21,687 3,146,040 36,572 17,690
Total $ 11,212,047 $ 429,029 $ 33,999 $ 11,852,864 $ 433,969 $ 43,877
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The Company enters into energy commodity contracts with its customers in the oil and gas sector, which allow them to hedge against the risk of fluctuation in energy commodity prices. Offsetting contracts entered with third-party financial institutions are used as economic hedges to manage the Company’s exposure on its customer-related positions. The following table presents the notional amounts in units and the gross fair values of the commodity derivatives issued for its customers and entered for economic hedges as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
Fair Value Fair Value
(Amounts in thousands)
Notional Units Assets Liabilities Notional Units Assets Liabilities
Customer-related positions:
Commodity contracts:
Crude oil:
Swaps 4,830 Barrels $ 4,682 $ 6,874 3,277 Barrels $ 3,735 $ 15,445
Collars 5,477 Barrels 1,604 3,362 5,966 Barrels 1,820 5,103
Subtotal 10,307 Barrels 6,286 10,236 9,243 Barrels 5,555 20,548
Natural gas:
Swaps 141,736 MMBTUs 13,095 17,708 118,325 MMBTUs 438 73,793
Collars 62,045 MMBTUs 6,061 4,556 45,854 MMBTUs 21 20,400
Written options 1,234 MMBTUs 167 — 1,874 MMBTUs — 233
Subtotal 205,015 MMBTUs 19,323 22,264 166,053 MMBTUs 459 94,426
Total $ 25,609 $ 32,500 $ 6,014 $ 114,974
Economic hedges:
Commodity contracts:
Crude oil:
Swaps 4,830 Barrels $ 4,479 $ 3,893 3,422 Barrels $ 9,166 $ 4,924
Collars 5,477 Barrels 1,547 76 5,966 Barrels 1,685 1,467
Subtotal 10,307 Barrels 6,026 3,969 9,388 Barrels 10,851 6,391
Natural gas:
Swaps 139,136 MMBTUs 13,323 5,056 116,463 MMBTUs 49,941 305
Collars 61,341 MMBTUs 3,541 3,650 44,454 MMBTUs 12,565 —
Purchased options 1,234 MMBTUs — 153 1,874 MMBTUs 233 —
Subtotal 201,711 MMBTUs 16,864 8,859 162,791 MMBTUs 62,739 305
Total $ 22,890 $ 12,828 $ 73,590 $ 6,696
Credit Contracts — The Company periodically enters into credit RPAs with institutional counterparties to manage the credit exposure of the interest rate contracts associated with syndication loans. Under the RPAs, a portion of the credit exposure is transferred from one party (the purchaser of credit protection) to another party (the seller of credit protection). The seller of credit protection is required to make payments to the purchaser of credit protection if the underlying borrower defaults on the related interest rate contract. The Company may enter into protection sold or protection purchased RPAs. Credit risk on RPAs is managed by monitoring the credit worthiness of the borrowers and the institutional counterparties, and is a part of the Company’s normal credit review and monitoring process. Assuming the underlying borrowers referenced in the interest rate contracts defaulted, the maximum exposure of protection sold RPAs would be $ 170 thousand and $ 177 thousand as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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The following table presents the notional amounts and the gross fair values of RPAs sold and purchased outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
($ in thousands) December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
Notional Amount
Fair Value Notional Amount
Fair Value
Assets Liabilities Assets Liabilities
RPAs — protection sold (1)
$ 133,174 $ — $ 12 $ 93,393 $ — $ 25
RPAs — protection purchased
35,825 1 — 24,998 1 —
Total RPAs $ 168,999 $ 1 $ 12 $ 118,391 $ 1 $ 25
(1) All reference entities of the protection sold RPAs were investment grade. The weighted-average remaining maturities were 1.6 years and 2.8 years as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Equity Contracts — As part of the loan origination process, the Company may obtain warrants to purchase the preferred and/or common stock of the borrowers’ companies, which are mainly in the technology and life sciences sectors. Warrants grant the Company the right to buy a certain class of the underlying company’s equity at a certain price before expiration. In connection with the Company’s investment in Rayliant during the third quarter of 2023, the Company granted performance-based RSUs as part of its consideration. The vesting of these equity contracts is contingent on Rayliant meeting certain financial performance targets during the future performance period. For additional information on these equity contracts, refer to Note 2 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments and Note 7 — Affordable Housing Partnership, Tax Credit and Community Reinvestment Act Investments, Net to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The following table presents the net gains (losses) due to fair value changes that are recognized on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income related to derivatives not designated as hedging instruments for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) Classification on Consolidated Statement of Income 2024 2023 2022
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate contracts Customer derivative income $ 549 $ ( 2,989 ) $ 13,905
Foreign exchange contracts Foreign exchange income 54,073 52,817 13,799
Credit contracts Customer derivative income — ( 1 ) 118
Equity contracts - warrants Lending fees ( 97 ) 13 151
Commodity contracts Customer derivative income 929 ( 25 ) 48
Net gains $ 55,454 $ 49,815 $ 28,021
Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Features — Certain of the Company’s over-the-counter derivative contracts contain early termination provisions that require the Company to settle any outstanding balances upon the occurrence of a specified credit-risk-related event. Such an event primarily relates to a downgrade in the credit rating of East West Bank to below investment grade. As of December 31, 2024, the aggregate fair value amounts of all derivative instruments with credit risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position totaled $ 1 million, for which $ 1 million collateral was posted to cover these positions. In comparison, as of December 31, 2023, the aggregate fair value amounts of all derivative instruments with credit risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position totaled $ 9 thousand, for which no collateral was posted to cover these positions. In the event that the credit rating of East West Bank had been downgraded to below investment grade, minimal additional collateral would have been required to be posted as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023.
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Offsetting of Derivatives
The following tables present the gross derivative fair values, the balance sheet netting adjustments, and the resulting net fair values recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, as well as the cash and noncash collateral associated with master netting arrangements. The gross amounts of derivative assets and liabilities are presented after the application of variation margin payments as settlements to the fair values of contracts cleared through central counterparty clearing houses, where applicable. The collateral amounts in the following tables are limited to the outstanding balances of the related asset or liability. Therefore, instances of over-collateralization are not shown:
($ in thousands) As of December 31, 2024
Gross Amounts Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amounts Presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Recognized (1)
Master Netting Arrangements Cash Collateral Received (3)
Security Collateral Received (5)
Net Amount
Derivative assets $ 523,133 $ ( 111,124 ) $ ( 316,168 )
$ 95,841 $ ( 55,222 )
$ 40,619
Gross Amounts Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amounts Presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Recognized (2)
Master Netting Arrangements Cash Collateral Pledged (4)
Security Collateral Pledged (5)
Net Amount
Derivative liabilities $ 545,885 $ ( 111,124 ) $ ( 1,160 )
$ 433,601 $ —
$ 433,601
($ in thousands) As of December 31, 2023
Gross Amounts Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amounts Presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Recognized (1)
Master Netting Arrangements Cash Collateral Received (3)
Security Collateral Received (5)
Net Amount
Derivative assets $ 610,920 $ ( 75,534 ) $ ( 237,258 ) $ 298,128 $ ( 246,259 ) $ 51,869
Gross Amounts Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amounts Presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Recognized (2)
Master Netting Arrangements Cash Collateral Pledged (4)
Security Collateral Pledged (5)
Net Amount
Derivative liabilities $ 613,314 $ ( 75,534 ) $ ( 636 ) $ 537,144 $ — $ 537,144
(1) Includes $ 4 million and $ 3 million of gross fair value assets with counterparties that were not subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(2) Includes $ 27 million and $ 16 million of gross fair value liabilities with counterparties that were not subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(3) Gross cash collateral received under master netting arrangements or similar agreements were $ 322 million and $ 244 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Of the gross cash collateral received, $ 316 million and $ 237 million were used to offset against derivative assets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(4) Gross cash collateral pledged under master netting arrangements or similar agreements were $ 1 million as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023. Of the gross cash collateral pledged, $ 1 million cash collateral was used to offset against derivative liabilities as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023.
(5) Represents the fair value of security collateral received or pledged limited to derivative assets or liabilities that are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements. U.S. GAAP does not permit the netting of noncash collateral on the Consolidated Balance Sheet but requires disclosure of such amounts.
In addition to the amounts included in the tables above, the Company has balance sheet netting related to the resale and repurchase agreements. Refer to Note 3 — Securities Purchased under Resale Agreements to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for additional information. Refer to Note 2 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for fair value measurement disclosures on derivatives.
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Note 6 — Loans Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses
The following table presents the composition of the Company’s loans held-for-investment outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
($ in thousands) December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
Commercial:
C&I $ 17,397,158 $ 16,581,079
CRE:
CRE 14,655,340 14,777,081
Multifamily residential 4,953,442 5,023,163
Construction and land 666,162 663,868
Total CRE 20,274,944 20,464,112
Total commercial 37,672,102 37,045,191
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
Single-family residential 14,175,446 13,383,060
HELOCs 1,811,628 1,722,204
Total residential mortgage 15,987,074 15,105,264
Other consumer 67,461 60,327
Total consumer 16,054,535 15,165,591
Total loans held-for-investment (1)
$ 53,726,637 $ 52,210,782
Allowance for loan losses ( 702,052 ) ( 668,743 )
Loans held-for-investment, net (1)
$ 53,024,585 $ 51,542,039
(1) Includes $ 46 million and $ 71 million of net deferred loan fees and net unamortized premiums as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Accrued interest receivable on loans held-for-investment was $ 255 million and $ 267 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and was included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The interest income reversed was insignificant for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. For the Company’s accounting policy on accrued interest receivable related to loans held-for-investment, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Loans Held-for-Investment to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K. The Company also has loans held-for-sale. For the Company’s accounting policy on loans held-for-sale, refer to Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Loans Held-for-Sale to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The Company’s FRB and FHLB borrowings are primarily secured by loans held-for-investment. Loans held-for-investment totaling $ 38.2 billion and $ 37.2 billion, respectively, were pledged to secure borrowings and provide additional borrowing capacity as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Credit Quality Indicators
All loans are subject to the Company’s credit review and monitoring process. For the commercial loan portfolio, loans are risk rated based on an analysis of the borrower’s current payment performance or delinquency, repayment sources, financial and liquidity factors, including industry and geographic considerations. For the consumer loan portfolio, payment performance or delinquency is typically the driving indicator for risk ratings.
The Company utilizes internal credit risk ratings to assign each individual loan a risk rating of 1 through 10:
• Pass — loans risk rated 1 through 5 are assigned an internal risk rating category of “Pass.” Loans risk rated 1 are typically loans fully secured by cash. Pass loans have sufficient sources of repayment to repay the loan in full, in accordance with all terms and conditions.
• Special mention — loans assigned a risk rating of 6 have potential weaknesses that warrant closer attention by management; these are assigned an internal risk rating category of “Special Mention.”
• Substandard — loans assigned a risk rating of 7 or 8 have well-defined weaknesses that may jeopardize the full and timely repayment of the loan; these are assigned an internal risk rating category of “Substandard.”
• Doubtful — loans assigned a risk rating of 9 have insufficient sources of repayment and a high probability of loss; these are assigned an internal risk rating category of “Doubtful.”
• Loss — loans assigned a risk rating of 10 are uncollectible and of such little value that they are no longer considered bankable assets; these are assigned an internal risk rating category of “Loss.”
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Loan exposures categorized as criticized consist of special mention, substandard, doubtful and loss categories. The Company reviews the internal risk ratings of its loan portfolio on a regular basis, and adjusts the ratings based on changes in the borrowers’ financial status and the collectability of the loans.
The following tables summarize the Company’s loans held-for-investment and year-to-date gross write-offs by loan portfolio segments, internal risk ratings and vintage year as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. The vintage year is the year of loan origination, renewal or major modification. Gross write-offs in the following tables are for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. Revolving loans that are converted to term loans presented in the tables below are excluded from the term loans by vintage year columns.
December 31, 2024
Term Loans by Origination Year
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 Prior Revolving Loans Revolving Loans Converted to Term Loans (1)
Total
Commercial:
C&I:
Pass $ 2,605,928 $ 1,508,948 $ 999,586 $ 612,015 $ 243,528 $ 295,884 $ 10,574,404 $ 23,032 $ 16,863,325
Criticized (accrual) 34,412 51,415 61,041 107,355 10,538 31,160 151,747 — 447,668
Criticized (nonaccrual)
3,822 29,181 20,273 10,666 3,225 9,135 9,863 — 86,165
Total C&I 2,644,162 1,589,544 1,080,900 730,036 257,291 336,179 10,736,014 23,032 17,397,158
Gross write-offs (2)
20 47,963 14,848 11,119 1,568 3,012 27,099 — 105,629
CRE:
Pass 1,660,877 2,296,763 3,692,498 1,925,220 1,296,439 3,176,450 96,791 49,302 14,194,340
Criticized (accrual) 34,543 44,557 90,105 31,615 75,578 167,401 — 14,771 458,570
Criticized (nonaccrual)
— — — — 1,756 674 — — 2,430
Subtotal CRE 1,695,420 2,341,320 3,782,603 1,956,835 1,373,773 3,344,525 96,791 64,073 14,655,340
Gross write-offs (2)
— — — — — 3 — — 3
Multifamily residential:
Pass 386,743 521,754 1,337,599 752,230 613,115 1,242,586 14,640 1,253 4,869,920
Criticized (accrual) — — 43,997 32,042 — 2,911 — — 78,950
Criticized (nonaccrual)
— — — — — 4,572 — — 4,572
Subtotal multifamily residential 386,743 521,754 1,381,596 784,272 613,115 1,250,069 14,640 1,253 4,953,442
Gross write-offs
— — — — — 10 — — 10
Construction and land:
Pass 90,926 328,803 184,792 41,932 — 8,393 — — 654,846
Criticized (nonaccrual)
— — 11,316 — — — — — 11,316
Subtotal construction and land 90,926 328,803 196,108 41,932 — 8,393 — — 666,162
Gross write-offs
— — 2,289 — — — — — 2,289
Total CRE 2,173,089 3,191,877 5,360,307 2,783,039 1,986,888 4,602,987 111,431 65,326 20,274,944
Total CRE gross write-offs (2)
— — 2,289 — — 13 — — 2,302
Total commercial $ 4,817,251 $ 4,781,421 $ 6,441,207 $ 3,513,075 $ 2,244,179 $ 4,939,166 $ 10,847,445 $ 88,358 $ 37,672,102
Total commercial gross write-offs (2)
$ 20 $ 47,963 $ 17,137 $ 11,119 $ 1,568 $ 3,025 $ 27,099 $ — $ 107,931
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December 31, 2024
Term Loans by Origination Year
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 Prior Revolving Loans Revolving Loans Converted to Term Loans (1)
Total
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
Single-family residential:
Pass (3)
$ 2,360,674 $ 2,762,921 $ 3,074,668 $ 2,079,323 $ 1,407,031 $ 2,437,446 $ — $ — $ 14,122,063
Criticized (accrual) 4,175 3,409 750 5,810 1,548 6,069 — — 21,761
Criticized (nonaccrual) (3)
2,716 9,673 1,929 2,035 2,404 12,865 — — 31,622
Subtotal single-family residential mortgage 2,367,565 2,776,003 3,077,347 2,087,168 1,410,983 2,456,380 — — 14,175,446
Gross write-offs (2)
9 — — — — — — — 9
HELOCs:
Pass 7,453 3,288 4,071 3,236 7,570 8,152 1,648,337 99,488 1,781,595
Criticized (accrual) 1,436 — 1,420 — 135 2,064 2,338 594 7,987
Criticized (nonaccrual)
3,161 3,095 2,520 39 418 7,301 — 5,512 22,046
Subtotal HELOCs 12,050 6,383 8,011 3,275 8,123 17,517 1,650,675 105,594 1,811,628
Gross write-offs
— 10 — — — — — 5 15
Total residential mortgage 2,379,615 2,782,386 3,085,358 2,090,443 1,419,106 2,473,897 1,650,675 105,594 15,987,074
Total residential mortgage gross write-offs (2)
9 10 — — — — — 5 24
Other consumer:
Pass 14,916 — 22,992 132 — 6,800 22,555 — 67,395
Criticized (nonaccrual)
— — — — — — 66 — 66
Total other consumer 14,916 — 22,992 132 — 6,800 22,621 — 67,461
Gross write-offs (2)
— 3,000 — — — — 890 — 3,890
Total consumer $ 2,394,531 $ 2,782,386 $ 3,108,350 $ 2,090,575 $ 1,419,106 $ 2,480,697 $ 1,673,296 $ 105,594 $ 16,054,535
Total consumer gross write-offs (2)
$ 9 $ 3,010 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 890 $ 5 $ 3,914
Total loans held-for-investment:
Pass $ 7,127,517 $ 7,422,477 $ 9,316,206 $ 5,414,088 $ 3,567,683 $ 7,175,711 $ 12,356,727 $ 173,075 $ 52,553,484
Criticized (accrual) 74,566 99,381 197,313 176,822 87,799 209,605 154,085 15,365 1,014,936
Criticized (nonaccrual)
9,699 41,949 36,038 12,740 7,803 34,547 9,929 5,512 158,217
Total $ 7,211,782 $ 7,563,807 $ 9,549,557 $ 5,603,650 $ 3,663,285 $ 7,419,863 $ 12,520,741 $ 193,952 $ 53,726,637
Total loans held-for-investment gross write-offs (2)
$ 29 $ 50,973 $ 17,137 $ 11,119 $ 1,568 $ 3,025 $ 27,989 $ 5 $ 111,845
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December 31, 2023
Term Loans by Origination Year
($ in thousands) 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 Prior Revolving Loans Revolving Loans Converted to Term Loans (1)
Total
Commercial:
C&I:
Pass $ 2,314,463 $ 1,628,560 $ 1,296,936 $ 331,982 $ 245,173 $ 164,159 $ 10,053,757 $ 20,143 $ 16,055,173
Criticized (accrual) 105,119 67,899 120,574 15,064 40,920 22,098 117,196 — 488,870
Criticized (nonaccrual)
2,104 7,916 131 4,819 2,979 18,137 950 — 37,036
Total C&I 2,421,686 1,704,375 1,417,641 351,865 289,072 204,394 10,171,903 20,143 16,581,079
Gross write-offs (2)
350 10,454 424 3,758 9,748 2,648 1,593 — 28,975
CRE:
Pass 2,492,915 4,086,385 2,216,257 1,428,724 1,600,844 2,494,382 92,851 62,771 14,475,129
Criticized (accrual) 36,855 34,485 30,336 48,250 24,437 104,340 — — 278,703
Criticized (nonaccrual) — — — — 444 22,805 — — 23,249
Subtotal CRE 2,529,770 4,120,870 2,246,593 1,476,974 1,625,725 2,621,527 92,851 62,771 14,777,081
Gross write-offs (2)
— — — — — 1,329 — — 1,329
Multifamily residential:
Pass 665,780 1,481,161 808,333 612,408 498,491 857,713 8,690 1,281 4,933,857
Criticized (accrual) — 3,356 54,614 — 693 25,974 — — 84,637
Criticized (nonaccrual) — — — — — 4,669 — — 4,669
Subtotal multifamily residential 665,780 1,484,517 862,947 612,408 499,184 888,356 8,690 1,281 5,023,163
Gross write-offs
— — — — — 3 — — 3
Construction and land:
Pass 209,775 280,151 120,724 39,928 808 5,501 6,981 $ — 663,868
Subtotal construction and land
209,775 280,151 120,724 39,928 808 5,501 6,981 — 663,868
Total CRE 3,405,325 5,885,538 3,230,264 2,129,310 2,125,717 3,515,384 108,522 64,052 20,464,112
Total CRE gross write-offs (2)
— — — — — 1,332 — — 1,332
Total commercial $ 5,827,011 $ 7,589,913 $ 4,647,905 $ 2,481,175 $ 2,414,789 $ 3,719,778 $ 10,280,425 $ 84,195 $ 37,045,191
Total commercial gross write-offs (2)
$ 350 $ 10,454 $ 424 $ 3,758 $ 9,748 $ 3,980 $ 1,593 $ — $ 30,307
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December 31, 2023
Term Loans by Origination Year
($ in thousands) 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 Prior Revolving Loans Revolving Loans Converted to Term Loans (1)
Total
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
Single-family residential:
Pass (3)
$ 3,188,830 $ 3,340,789 $ 2,279,802 $ 1,594,525 $ 980,686 $ 1,959,974 $ — $ — $ 13,344,606
Criticized (accrual) 2,680 4,471 566 1,440 1,503 4,167 — — 14,827
Criticized (nonaccrual) (3)
4,466 837 3,902 2,081 3,626 8,715 — — 23,627
Subtotal single-family residential mortgage 3,195,976 3,346,097 2,284,270 1,598,046 985,815 1,972,856 — — 13,383,060
HELOCs:
Pass 3,641 3,882 1,734 3,153 729 9,251 1,551,074 126,280 1,699,744
Criticized (accrual) 565 1,219 1,872 101 185 1,470 2,548 1,089 9,049
Criticized (nonaccrual) 815 856 413 72 584 6,863 279 3,529 13,411
Subtotal HELOCs 5,021 5,957 4,019 3,326 1,498 17,584 1,553,901 130,898 1,722,204
Gross write-offs (2)
— — — — — 41 — 6 47
Total residential mortgage 3,200,997 3,352,054 2,288,289 1,601,372 987,313 1,990,440 1,553,901 130,898 15,105,264
Total residential mortgage gross write-offs (2)
— — — — — 41 — 6 47
Other consumer:
Pass 2,286 18,098 135 — — 13,244 26,432 — 60,195
Criticized (nonaccrual) — — — — — — 132 — 132
Total other consumer 2,286 18,098 135 — — 13,244 26,564 — 60,327
Total consumer $ 3,203,283 $ 3,370,152 $ 2,288,424 $ 1,601,372 $ 987,313 $ 2,003,684 $ 1,580,465 $ 130,898 $ 15,165,591
Total consumer gross write-offs (2)
$ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 41 $ — $ 6 $ 47
Total by Risk Rating:
Pass $ 8,877,690 $ 10,839,026 $ 6,723,921 $ 4,010,720 $ 3,326,731 $ 5,504,224 $ 11,739,785 $ 210,475 $ 51,232,572
Criticized (accrual) 145,219 111,430 207,962 64,855 67,738 158,049 119,744 1,089 876,086
Criticized (nonaccrual)
7,385 9,609 4,446 6,972 7,633 61,189 1,361 3,529 102,124
Total $ 9,030,294 $ 10,960,065 $ 6,936,329 $ 4,082,547 $ 3,402,102 $ 5,723,462 $ 11,860,890 $ 215,093 $ 52,210,782
Total loans held-for-investment gross write-offs (2)
$ 350 $ 10,454 $ 424 $ 3,758 $ 9,748 $ 4,021 $ 1,593 $ 6 $ 30,354
(1) $ 7 million of total commercial loans, comprised of CRE and C&I revolving loans, were converted to term loans during the year ended December 31, 2024. In comparison, $ 29 million and $ 26 million of total commercial loans, primarily comprised of CRE revolving loans, were converted to term loans during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, $ 22 million and $ 44 million of total consumer loans, comprised of HELOCs, were converted to term loans. For the year ended December 31, 2022, no consumer loans were converted to term loans.
(2) Excludes gross write-offs associated with loans the Company sold or settled.
(3) As of each of December 31, 2024 and 2023, $ 1 million of nonaccrual loans whose payments were guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration were classified with a “Pass” rating.
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Nonaccrual and Past Due Loans
Loans that are 90 or more days past due are generally placed on nonaccrual status, unless the loan is well-collateralized and in the process of collection. Loans that are less than 90 days past due but have identified deficiencies, such as when the full collection of principal or interest becomes uncertain, are also placed on nonaccrual status. The following tables present the aging analysis of loans held-for-investment as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Current Accruing Loans Accruing Loans 30-59 Days Past Due Accruing Loans 60-89 Days Past Due Total Accruing Past Due Loans Total Nonaccrual Loans Total Loans
Commercial:
C&I $ 17,288,138 $ 5,690 $ 17,165 $ 22,855 $ 86,165 $ 17,397,158
CRE:
CRE 14,647,270 3,755 1,885 5,640 2,430 14,655,340
Multifamily residential 4,947,939 653 278 931 4,572 4,953,442
Construction and land 653,919 927 — 927 11,316 666,162
Total CRE 20,249,128 5,335 2,163 7,498 18,318 20,274,944
Total commercial 37,537,266 11,025 19,328 30,353 104,483 37,672,102
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
Single-family residential 14,088,086 32,841 22,096 54,937 32,423 14,175,446
HELOCs 1,770,218 11,396 7,968 19,364 22,046 1,811,628
Total residential mortgage 15,858,304 44,237 30,064 74,301 54,469 15,987,074
Other consumer 67,288 92 15 107 66 67,461
Total consumer 15,925,592 44,329 30,079 74,408 54,535 16,054,535
Total $ 53,462,858 $ 55,354 $ 49,407 $ 104,761 $ 159,018 $ 53,726,637
December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Current Accruing Loans Accruing Loans 30-59 Days Past Due Accruing Loans 60-89 Days Past Due Total Accruing Past Due Loans Total Nonaccrual Loans Total Loans
Commercial:
C&I $ 16,508,394 $ 28,550 $ 7,099 $ 35,649 $ 37,036 $ 16,581,079
CRE:
CRE 14,750,315 1,719 1,798 3,517 23,249 14,777,081
Multifamily residential 5,017,897 597 — 597 4,669 5,023,163
Construction and land 650,617 13,251 — 13,251 — 663,868
Total CRE 20,418,829 15,567 1,798 17,365 27,918 20,464,112
Total commercial 36,927,223 44,117 8,897 53,014 64,954 37,045,191
Consumer:
Residential mortgage:
Single-family residential 13,313,455 29,285 15,943 45,228 24,377 13,383,060
HELOCs 1,687,301 12,266 9,226 21,492 13,411 1,722,204
Total residential mortgage
15,000,756 41,551 25,169 66,720 37,788 15,105,264
Other consumer 56,930 3,123 142 3,265 132 60,327
Total consumer 15,057,686 44,674 25,311 69,985 37,920 15,165,591
Total $ 51,984,909 $ 88,791 $ 34,208 $ 122,999 $ 102,874 $ 52,210,782
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The following table presents the amortized cost of loans on nonaccrual status for which there was no related allowance for loan losses as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Nonaccrual loans may not have an allowance for credit losses if the loan balances are well secured by collateral values and there is no loss expectation.
($ in thousands) December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
Commercial:
C&I $ 79,591 $ 33,089
CRE — 22,653
Multifamily residential 4,210 4,235
Construction and land
11,316 —
Total commercial 95,117 59,977
Consumer:
Single-family residential 6,279 4,852
HELOCs 15,380 7,256
Total consumer 21,659 12,108
Total nonaccrual loans with no related allowance for loan losses $ 116,776 $ 72,085
Foreclosed Assets
The Company acquires assets from borrowers through loan restructurings, workouts, or foreclosures. Assets acquired may include real properties (e.g., real estate, land, and buildings) and commercial and personal properties. The Company recognizes foreclosed assets upon receiving assets in satisfaction of a loan (e.g., taking legal title or physical possession).
Foreclosed assets, consisting of OREO and other nonperforming assets, are included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company had $ 35 million of foreclosed assets as of December 31, 2024, compared with $ 11 million as of December 31, 2023. The Company commences the foreclosure process on consumer mortgage loans after a borrower becomes more than 120 days delinquent in accordance with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidelines. The carrying value of the consumer real estate loans that were in an active or suspended foreclosure process was $ 16 million and $ 8 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Loan Modifications to Borrowers Experiencing Financial Difficulty
As part of the Company’s loss mitigation efforts, the Company may agree to modify the contractual terms of a loan to assist borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The Company negotiates loan modifications on a case-by-case basis to achieve mutually agreeable terms that maximize loan collectability and meet the borrower’s financial needs. The Company considers various factors to identify borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The primary factor for consumer borrowers is delinquency status. For commercial loan borrowers, these factors include credit risk ratings, the probability of loan risk rating downgrades, and overall risk profile changes. The modification may include, but is not limited to, payment delays, interest rate reductions, term extensions, principal forgiveness, or a combination of such modifications. Commercial loan borrowers that require immaterial modifications such as insignificant interest rate changes, short-term extensions (90 days or less) from the original maturity date, or temporary waivers or extensions of financial covenants which would not constitute material credit actions, are generally not considered to be experiencing financial difficulty and are not included in the disclosure. Insignificant payment deferrals (three months or less in the last 12 months) are also not included in the disclosure.
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The following tables present the amortized cost of loans that were modified during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 by loan class and modification type:
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Modification Type
($ in thousands) Term Extension Payment Delay Combination: Term Extension/ Payment Delay Combination: Rate Reduction/ Term Extension Combination: Rate Reduction/ Payment Delay Total Modification as a % of Loan Class
Commercial:
C&I $ 57,102 $ 26,420 $ — $ — $ — $ 83,522 0.48 %
CRE 86,258 — — 6,052 — 92,310 0.63 %
Total commercial 143,360 26,420 — 6,052 — 175,832
Consumer:
Single-family residential — 15,397 222 — 140 15,759 0.11 %
HELOCs — 14,303 — — 517 14,820 0.82 %
Total consumer — 29,700 222 — 657 30,579
Total $ 143,360 $ 56,120 $ 222 $ 6,052 $ 657 $ 206,411
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Modification Type
($ in thousands) Term Extension Payment Delay Combination: Term Extension/ Payment Delay Combination: Rate Reduction/ Term Extension Combination: Rate Reduction/ Payment Delay Total Modification as a % of Loan Class
Commercial:
C&I $ 62,704 $ 6,842 $ — $ — $ — $ 69,546 0.42 %
CRE 13,939 — — 32,470 — 46,409 0.31 %
Total commercial 76,643 6,842 — 32,470 — 115,955
Consumer:
Single-family residential — 10,202 3,967 — — 14,169 0.11 %
HELOCs — 3,148 1,170 — 815 5,133 0.30 %
Total consumer — 13,350 5,137 — 815 19,302
Total $ 76,643 $ 20,192 $ 5,137 $ 32,470 $ 815 $ 135,257
The following tables present the financial effects of the loan modifications for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 by loan class and modification type:
Financial Effects of Loan Modifications
Year Ended December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Weighted-Average Interest Rate Reduction Weighted-Average Term Extension (in years) Weighted-Average Payment Delay
(in years)
Commercial:
C&I — % 2.1 1.7
CRE 1.28 % 2.7 —
Consumer:
Single-family residential 1.63 % 10.0 1.3
HELOCs 0.25 % — 1.7
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Financial Effects of Loan Modifications
Year Ended December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Principal Forgiveness Weighted-Average Interest Rate Reduction Weighted-Average Term Extension (in years) Weighted-Average Payment Delay
(in years)
Commercial:
C&I $ 371 (1)
— % (1)
1.3 0.9
CRE — 3.00 % 2.1 —
Consumer:
Single-family residential — — % 9.3 1.8
HELOCs — 0.11 % 14.2 4.6
Total $ 371
(1) Comprised of C&I loans modified during the year ended December 31, 2023 where the interest rate was waived in addition to principal forgiveness. No recorded investment was outstanding as of December 31, 2023.
A modified loan may become delinquent and may result in a payment default (generally 90 days past due) subsequent to modification. The following tables present information on loans that defaulted during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 that received modifications during the 12 months preceding payment default.
Loans Modified Subsequently Defaulted During the Year Ended December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Term Extension Payment Delay Combination: Rate Reduction/ Payment Delay Combination: Term Extension/ Payment Delay Total
Commercial:
C&I $ 3,684 $ 4,937 $ — $ — $ 8,621
Total commercial 3,684 4,937 — — 8,621
Consumer:
Single-family residential — 10,223 141 2,462 12,826
HELOCs — 4,690 517 — 5,207
Total consumer — 14,913 658 2,462 18,033
Total $ 3,684 $ 19,850 $ 658 $ 2,462 $ 26,654
Loans Modified Subsequently Defaulted During the Year Ended December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Term Extension Payment Delay Combination: Rate Reduction/ Payment Delay Combination: Term Extension/ Payment Delay Total
Consumer:
Single-family residential $ — $ 267 $ — $ — $ 267
HELOCs — 749 — — 749
Total consumer — 1,016 — — 1,016
Total $ — $ 1,016 $ — $ — $ 1,016
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The Company monitors the performance of modified loans to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty to understand the effectiveness of its modification efforts. The following table presents the performance of loans that were modified during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Payment Performance as of December 31, 2024
($ in thousands) Current 30-89 Days Past Due 90+ Days Past Due Total
Commercial:
C&I $ 71,324 $ 12,198 $ — $ 83,522
CRE 92,310 — — 92,310
Total commercial 163,634 12,198 — 175,832
Consumer:
Single-family residential 9,082 4,218 2,459 15,759
HELOCs 8,591 3,069 3,160 14,820
Total consumer 17,673 7,287 5,619 30,579
Total $ 181,307 $ 19,485 $ 5,619 $ 206,411
Payment Performance as of December 31, 2023
($ in thousands) Current 30-89 Days Past Due 90+ Days Past Due Total
Commercial:
C&I $ 52,087 $ 8,153 $ 9,306 $ 69,546
CRE 46,409 — — 46,409
Total commercial 98,496 8,153 9,306 115,955
Consumer:
Single-family residential 11,197 2,425 547 14,169
HELOCs 4,207 177 749 5,133
Total consumer 15,404 2,602 1,296 19,302
Total $ 113,900 $ 10,755 $ 10,602 $ 135,257
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, commitments to lend additional funds to borrowers whose loans were modified were $ 10 million and $ 4 million, respectively.
Troubled Debt Restructurings Prior to the Adoption of ASU 2022-02
Prior to the adoption of ASU 2022-02, the Company accounted for a modification to the contractual terms of a loan that resulted in granting a concession to a borrower experiencing financial difficulties as a TDR. ASU 2022-02 eliminated TDR accounting prospectively for all restructurings occurring on or after January 1, 2023.
The following table presents the additions to TDRs for the year ended December 31, 2022:
Loans Modified as TDRs During the Year Ended
December 31, 2022
($ in thousands) Number of Loans Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment (1)
Financial Impact (2)
Commercial:
C&I 7 $ 69,050 $ 38,415 $ 12,638
Total commercial 7 69,050 38,415 12,638
Consumer:
HELOCs 2 662 697 2
Total consumer 2 662 697 2
Total 9 $ 69,712 $ 39,112 $ 12,640
(1) Includes subsequent payments after modification and reflects the balance as of December 31, 2022.
(2) Includes charge-offs and specific reserves recorded since the modification date. Loans modified more than once are reported in the period they were first modified.
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The following table presents the TDR post-modification outstanding balances by the primary modification type for the year ended December 31, 2022:
Modification Type During the Year Ended
December 31, 2022
($ in thousands) Principal (1)
Other (2)
Total
Commercial:
C&I $ 24,238 $ 14,177 $ 38,415
Total commercial 24,238 14,177 38,415
Consumer:
HELOCs 697 — 697
Total consumer 697 — 697
Total $ 24,935 $ 14,177 $ 39,112
(1) Includes forbearance payments, term extensions and principal deferments that modify the terms of the loan from principal and interest payments to interest payments only.
(2) Includes primarily funding to secure additional collateral and provide liquidity to collateral-dependent and term extension to C&I loans.
After a loan is modified as a TDR, the Company continues to monitor its performance under its most recent restructured terms. A TDR may become delinquent and result in payment default (generally 90 days past due) subsequent to restructuring. The following table presents information on loans that entered into default during the year ended December 31, 2022 that were modified as TDRs during the 12 months preceding payment default:
Loans Modified as TDRs that Subsequently During the Year Ended December 31, 2022
($ in thousands) Number of Loans Recorded Investment
Commercial:
C&I 2 $ 10,296
Total commercial 2 10,296
Total 2 $ 10,296
As of December 31, 2022 , the remaining commitments to lend to borrowers whose terms of their outstanding owed balances were modified as TDRs was $ 16 million.
Allowance for Credit Losses
The Company has a current expected credit losses (“CECL”) framework for all financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain off-balance sheet credit exposures. The Company’s allowance for credit losses, which includes both the allowance for loan losses and the allowance for unfunded credit commitments, is calculated with the objective of maintaining a reserve sufficient to absorb losses inherent in our credit portfolios. The measurement of the allowance for credit losses is based on management’s best estimate of lifetime expected credit losses, periodic evaluation of the loan portfolio, lending-related commitments and other relevant factors.
The allowance for credit losses is deducted from the amortized cost basis of a financial asset or a group of financial assets so that the balance sheet reflects the net amount the Company expects to collect. Amortized cost is the principal balance outstanding, net of purchase premiums and discounts, deferred fees and costs, and escrow advances. Subsequent changes in expected credit losses are recognized in net income as a provision for, or a reversal of, credit loss expense.
The allowance for credit losses estimation involves procedures to consider the unique risk characteristics of the portfolio segments. The majority of the Company’s credit exposures that share risk characteristics with other similar exposures are collectively evaluated. The collectively evaluated loans include performing loans and unfunded credit commitments. If an exposure does not share risk characteristics with other exposures, the Company generally estimates expected credit losses on an individual basis.
Allowance for Collectively Evaluated Loans
The allowance for collectively evaluated loans consists of a quantitative component that assesses the different risk factors considered in our models and a qualitative component that considers risk factors external to the models. Each of these components are described below.
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Quantitative Component — The Company applies quantitative methods to estimate loan losses by considering a variety of factors such as historical loss experience, the current credit quality of the portfolio, and an economic outlook over the life of the loan. The Company incorporates forward-looking information using macroeconomic scenarios which include variables that are considered key drivers of increases and decreases in credit losses. The Company utilizes a probability-weighted, multiple-scenario forecast approach. These scenarios may consist of a base forecast representing management's view of the most likely outcome, combined with downside or upside scenarios reflecting possible worsening or improving economic conditions. The quantitative models incorporate a probability-weighted calculation of these macroeconomic scenarios over a reasonable and supportable forecast period. If the life of the loans extends beyond the reasonable and supportable forecast period, the Company will consider historical experience or long-run macroeconomic trends over the remaining life of the loans to estimate the allowance for loan losses.
There were no changes to the reasonable and supportable forecast period, except to the C&I segment, and no changes to the reversion to the historical loss experience method in 2024 and 2023. The reasonable and supportable forecast period for the C&I segment changed from 11 quarters to eight quarters due to model redevelopment during the third quarter of 2023.
The following table provides key credit risk characteristics and macroeconomic variables that the Company uses to estimate the expected credit losses by portfolio segment:
Portfolio Segment Risk Characteristics Macroeconomic Variables
C&I Age percentage, size at origination, delinquency status, sector and risk rating Unemployment rate, Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”), and U.S. Treasury rates
CRE, Multifamily residential, and Construction and land Delinquency status, maturity date, collateral value, property type, and geographic location Unemployment rate, GDP, and U.S. Treasury rates
Single-family residential and HELOCs FICO score, delinquency status, maturity date, collateral value, and geographic location Unemployment rate, GDP, and Home Price Indices
Other consumer Loss rate approach Immaterial - Macroeconomic variables are included in the qualitative estimate.
Quantitative Component — Allowance for Loan Losses for the Commercial Loan Portfolio
The Company’s C&I lifetime loss rate model estimates the loss rate expected over the life of a loan. This loss rate is applied to the amortized cost basis, excluding accrued interest receivable, to determine expected credit losses. The lifetime loss rate model’s reasonable and supportable period spans eight quarters, thereafter immediately reverting to the historical average loss rate, expressed through the loan-level lifetime loss rate.
To generate estimates of expected loss at the loan level for CRE, multifamily residential, and construction and land loans, projected probabilities of default (“PDs”) and loss given defaults (“LGDs”) are applied to the estimated exposure at default, considering the term and payment structure of the loan. The forecast of future economic conditions returns to long-run historical economic trends within the reasonable and supportable period.
To estimate the life of a loan under both models, the contractual term of the loan is adjusted for estimated prepayments based on historical prepayment experience.
Quantitative Component — Allowance for Loan Losses for the Consumer Loan Portfolio
For single-family residential and HELOC loans, projected PDs and LGDs are applied to the estimated exposure at default, considering the term and payment structure of the loan, to generate estimates of expected loss at the loan level. The forecast of future economic conditions returns to long-run historical economic trends after the reasonable and supportable period. To estimate the life of a loan for the single-family residential and HELOC loan portfolios, the contractual term of the loan is adjusted for estimated prepayments based on historical prepayment experience. For other consumer loans, the Company uses a loss rate approach.
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Qualitative Component — The Company considers the following qualitative factors in the determination of the collectively evaluated allowance if these factors have not already been captured by the quantitative model. Such qualitative factors may include, but are not limited to:
– loan growth trends;
– the volume and severity of past due financial assets, and criticized or adversely classified financial assets;
– the Company’s lending policies and procedures, including changes in lending strategies, underwriting standards, collection, write-off and recovery practices;
– knowledge of a borrower’s operations;
– the quality of the Company’s credit review system;
– the experience, ability and depth of the Company’s management and associates;
– the effect of other external factors such as the regulatory and legal environments, or changes in technology;
– actual and expected changes in international, national, regional, and local economic and business conditions in which the Company operates; and
– risk factors in certain industry sectors not captured by the quantitative models.
The magnitude of the impact of these factors on the Company’s qualitative assessment of the allowance for credit losses changes from period to period according to changes made by management in its assessment of these factors. The extent to which these factors change may be dependent on whether they are already reflected in quantitative loss estimates during the current period and the extent to which changes in these factors diverge from period to period.
While the Company’s allowance methodologies strive to reflect all relevant credit risk factors, there continues to be uncertainty associated with, but not limited to, potential imprecision in the estimation process due to the inherent time lag of obtaining information and normal variations between expected and actual outcomes. The Company may hold additional qualitative reserves that are designed to provide coverage for losses attributable to such risk.
Allowance for Individually Evaluated Loans
When a loan no longer shares similar risk characteristics with other loans, such as in the case of certain nonaccrual loans, the Company estimates the allowance for loan losses on an individual loan basis. The allowance for loan losses for individually evaluated loans is measured as the difference between the recorded value of the loans and their fair value. For loans evaluated individually, the Company uses one of three different asset valuation measurement methods: (1) the fair value of collateral less costs to sell; (2) the present value of expected future cash flows; or (3) the loan's observable market price. If an individually evaluated loan is determined to be collateral dependent, the Company applies the fair value of the collateral less costs to sell method. If an individually evaluated loan is determined not to be collateral dependent, the Company uses the present value of future cash flows or the observable market value of the loan.
• Collateral-Dependent Loans — The allowance of a collateral-dependent loan is limited to the difference between the recorded value and fair value of the collateral less cost of disposal or sale. As of December 31, 2024, collateral-dependent commercial and consumer loans totaled $ 45 million and $ 23 million, respectively. In comparison, collateral-dependent commercial and consumer loans totaled $ 30 million and $ 12 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2023. The Company's collateral-dependent loans were secured by real estate. As of both December 31, 2024 and 2023, the collateral value of the properties securing the collateral-dependent loans, net of selling costs, exceeded the recorded value of the majority of the loans.
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The following tables summarize the activity in the allowance for loan losses by portfolio segments for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Commercial Consumer
CRE Residential Mortgage
($ in thousands) C&I CRE Multifamily Residential Construction and Land Single-Family Residential HELOCs Other Consumer Total
Allowance for loan losses, beginning of period $ 392,685 $ 170,592 $ 34,375 $ 10,469 $ 55,018 $ 3,947 $ 1,657 $ 668,743
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses on loans (a) 110,791 61,908 ( 2,684 ) 9,114 ( 10,176 ) ( 873 ) 4,096 172,176
Gross charge-offs ( 125,413 ) ( 14,236 ) ( 10 ) ( 2,289 ) ( 35 ) ( 15 ) ( 4,259 ) ( 146,257 )
Gross recoveries 6,505 413 436 203 9 73 — 7,639
Total net (charge-offs) recoveries ( 118,908 ) ( 13,823 ) 426 ( 2,086 ) ( 26 ) 58 ( 4,259 ) ( 138,618 )
Foreign currency translation adjustment ( 249 ) — — — — — — ( 249 )
Allowance for loan losses, end of period $ 384,319 $ 218,677 $ 32,117 $ 17,497 $ 44,816 $ 3,132 $ 1,494 $ 702,052
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Commercial Consumer
CRE Residential Mortgage
($ in thousands) C&I CRE Multifamily Residential Construction and Land Single-Family Residential HELOCs Other Consumer Total
Allowance for loan losses, December 31, 2022 $ 371,700 $ 149,864 $ 23,373 $ 9,109 $ 35,564 $ 4,475 $ 1,560 $ 595,645
Impact of ASU 2022-02 adoption 5,683 337 6 — 1 1 — 6,028
Allowance for loan losses, beginning of period 377,383 150,201 23,379 9,109 35,565 4,476 1,560 601,673
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses on loans (a) 45,319 27,007 10,454 11,537 19,384 ( 424 ) 294 113,571
Gross charge-offs ( 36,573 ) ( 7,048 ) ( 3 ) ( 10,413 ) — ( 138 ) ( 197 ) ( 54,372 )
Gross recoveries 6,803 432 545 236 69 33 — 8,118
Total net (charge-offs) recoveries ( 29,770 ) ( 6,616 ) 542 ( 10,177 ) 69 ( 105 ) ( 197 ) ( 46,254 )
Foreign currency translation adjustment ( 247 ) — — — — — — ( 247 )
Allowance for loan losses, end of period $ 392,685 $ 170,592 $ 34,375 $ 10,469 $ 55,018 $ 3,947 $ 1,657 $ 668,743
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Commercial Consumer
CRE Residential Mortgage
($ in thousands) C&I CRE Multifamily Residential Construction and Land Single-Family Residential HELOCs Other Consumer Total
Allowance for loan losses, beginning of period $ 338,252 $ 150,940 $ 14,400 $ 15,468 $ 17,160 $ 3,435 $ 1,924 $ 541,579
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses on loans (a) 37,604 8,212 15,651 ( 6,433 ) 18,867 1,124 ( 258 ) 74,767
Gross charge-offs ( 18,738 ) ( 10,871 ) ( 7237 ) — ( 775 ) ( 193 ) ( 106 ) ( 37,920 )
Gross recoveries 16,824 1,583 559 74 312 109 — 19,461
Total net (charge-offs) recoveries ( 1,914 ) ( 9,288 ) ( 6,678 ) 74 ( 463 ) ( 84 ) ( 106 ) ( 18,459 )
Foreign currency translation adjustment ( 2,242 ) — — — — — — ( 2,242 )
Allowance for loan losses, end of period $ 371,700 $ 149,864 $ 23,373 $ 9,109 $ 35,564 $ 4,475 $ 1,560 $ 595,645
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In addition to the allowance for loan losses, the Company maintains an allowance for unfunded credit commitments. The Company has three general areas for which it provides the allowance for unfunded credit commitments: (1) recourse obligations for loans sold, (2) letters of credit, and (3) unfunded lending commitments. The allowance for unfunded credit commitments is maintained at a level that management believes to be sufficient to absorb estimated expected credit losses related to unfunded credit facilities. See Note 12 — Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for additional information related to unfunded credit commitments. The following table summarizes the activity in the allowance for unfunded credit commitments for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Unfunded credit facilities
Allowance for unfunded credit commitments, beginning of period $ 37,699 $ 26,264 $ 27,514
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses on unfunded credit commitments (b) 1,824 11,429 ( 1,267 )
Foreign currency translation adjustments 3 6 17
Allowance for unfunded credit commitments, end of period 39,526 37,699 26,264
Provision for credit losses (a) + (b) $ 174,000 $ 125,000 $ 73,500
The allowance for credit losses was $ 742 million as of December 31, 2024, compared with $ 706 million as of December 31, 2023. The increase in the allowance for credit losses was primarily driven by the Company’s net loan growth, qualitative risk assessment and economic outlook that reflected continued caution regarding inflation, the high-interest rate environment and certain CRE markets.
The Company considers multiple economic scenarios to develop the estimate of the allowance for loan losses. The scenarios may consist of a baseline forecast representing management's view of the most likely outcome, and downside or upside scenarios that reflect possible worsening or improving economic conditions. As of December 31, 2024, the Company assigned the same weightings to its baseline, while slightly higher and lower weightings were applied to the upside and downside scenarios, respectively, as compared with December 31, 2023. The current baseline economic forecast continues to reflect key risks such as still-elevated interest rates, inflation, concerns over global conflicts and oil prices. Compared to December 2023, the December 2024 baseline forecast for GDP growth showed improvement in the near-term (full year 2025) and worsening for longer-term (2026 and beyond). The unemployment rate has remained low with the December 2024 forecast showing a small uptick beginning in 2026, compared with the December 2023 forecast for the same periods. The downside scenario assumed the economy falls into recession in the first quarter of 2025 as a result of tariffs, rising inflation, high interest rates, global and domestic political tensions, and reduced credit availability. The upside scenario assumed a more optimistic economic outlook, including stronger growth, stable financial market, and full employment starting in the first quarter of 2025.
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Loan Transfers, Sales and Purchases
The Company’s primary business focus is on directly originated loans. The Company also purchases loans from and participates in loan financing with other banks. In the normal course of business, the Company also provides other financial institutions with the ability to participate in commercial loans that it originates, by selling loans to such institutions. Purchased loans may be transferred from held-for-investment to held-for-sale, and write-downs to allowance for loan losses are recorded, when appropriate. The following tables provide information on the carrying value of loans transferred, sold and purchased for the held-for-investment portfolio, during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Commercial Consumer
CRE Residential Mortgage
($ in thousands) C&I CRE Construction and Land Single-Family Residential Total
Loans transferred from held-for-investment to held-for-sale (1)
$ 649,187 $ 9,417 $ 718 $ — $ 659,322
Sales (2)(3)
$ 650,256 $ 9,417 $ 718 $ 2,997 $ 663,388
Purchases (4)
$ 612,364 $ — $ — $ 387,629 $ 999,993
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Commercial Consumer
CRE Residential Mortgage
($ in thousands) C&I CRE Construction and Land Single-Family Residential Total
Loans transferred from held-for-investment to held-for-sale (1)
$ 647,943 $ 83,282 $ 8,154 $ — $ 739,379
Sales (2)(3)
$ 674,919 $ 86,749 $ 8,154 $ — $ 769,822
Purchases (4)
$ 106,493 $ — $ — $ 493,282 $ 599,775
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Commercial Consumer
CRE Residential Mortgage
($ in thousands) C&I CRE Construction and Land Single-Family Residential Total
Loans transferred from held-for-investment to held-for-sale (1)
$ 530,524 $ 88,075 $ — $ 5,178 $ 623,777
Loans transferred from held-for-sale to held-for-investment $ — $ — $ — $ 631 $ 631
Sales (2)(3)
$ 501,289 $ 88,075 $ — $ 6,403 $ 595,767
Purchases (4)
$ 363,549 $ — $ — $ 293,721 $ 657,270
(1) Includes write-downs of $ 2 million, $ 5 million and $ 3 million to the allowance for loan losses related to loans transferred from held-for-investment to held-for-sale for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
(2) Includes originated loans sold of $ 508 million, $ 513 million and $ 388 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Originated loans sold consisted primarily of C&I loans for the year ended December 31, 2024 and C&I and CRE loans for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
(3) Includes $ 156 million, $ 256 million and $ 208 million of purchased loans sold in the secondary market for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
(4) C&I loan purchases were comprised of syndicated C&I term loans.
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Note 7 — Affordable Housing Partnership, Tax Credit and Community Reinvestment Act Investments, Net
The CRA encourages banks to meet the credit needs of their communities, particularly low- and moderate-income individuals and neighborhoods. The Company invests in certain affordable housing projects in the form of ownership interests in limited partnerships or limited liability companies that qualify for CRA consideration and tax credits. These entities are formed to develop and operate apartment complexes designed as high-quality affordable housing for lower income tenants throughout the U.S. To fully utilize the available tax credits, each of these entities must meet the affordable housing regulatory requirements for a 15-year minimum compliance period. The Company also invests in small business investment companies and new markets tax credit projects that qualify for CRA consideration, as well as eligible projects that qualify for production, historic and renewable energy tax credits. Investments in new markets tax credits promote development in low-income communities, investments in production and renewable energy tax credits help promote the development of renewable energy sources, and investments in historic tax credits promote the rehabilitation of historic buildings and economic revitalization of the surrounding areas.
The majority of affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments discussed above are variable interest entities where the Company is a limited partner in these investments, and an unrelated third party is typically the general partner or managing member who has control over the significant activities of these investments. While the Company’s interest in some of the investments may exceed 50% of the outstanding equity interests, the Company does not consolidate these investments due to the general partner’s or managing member’s ability to manage the entity, which is indicative of the general partner’s or managing member’s power over the entity. The Company’s maximum exposure to loss in connection with these partnerships consists of the unamortized investment balance and any tax credits claimed that may become subject to recapture.
The Company records its investments in qualifying affordable housing partnerships, net, using PAM. Following the adoption of ASU 2023-02 on January 1, 2024, the Company elects to account for its tax credit investments using PAM on a program-by-program basis if certain conditions are met.
For the Company’s accounting policies on tax credit investments, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Securities and Affordable Housing Partnership, Tax Credit and CRA Investments, Net in this Form 10-K. For discussion on the Company’s impairment evaluation and monitoring process of tax credit investments, refer to Note 2 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments — Affordable Housing Partnership, Tax Credit and CRA Investments, Net to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The following table presents the investments and unfunded commitments of the Company’s affordable housing partnership, tax credit, and CRA investments, net as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31,
2024 2023
($ in thousands) Assets Liabilities - Unfunded Commitments (1)
Assets Liabilities - Unfunded Commitments (1)
PAM:
Affordable housing partnership investments $ 500,217 $ 280,919 $ 419,785 $ 251,746
Tax credit and CRA investments 160,429 21,202 — —
Equity method of accounting and other:
Tax credits and CRA investments 265,994 105,743 485,251 298,990
Total $ 926,640 $ 407,864 $ 905,036 $ 550,736
(1) Included in Accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
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The following table presents additional information related to the investments in affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Tax credits and benefits (1) :
PAM:
Affordable housing partnership investments $ 70,335 $ 60,939 $ 52,132
Tax credit and CRA investments 110,260 — —
Equity method of accounting and other:
Tax credit and CRA investments 64,720 124,433 116,132
Total tax credits and benefits $ 245,315 $ 185,372 $ 168,264
Amortization:
PAM:
Affordable housing partnership investments (2)
$ 46,113 $ 43,041 $ 38,759
Tax credit and CRA investments (3)
90,113 — —
Equity method of accounting and other:
Tax credit and CRA investments (4) (5)
54,242 120,299 113,358
Total amortization $ 190,468 $ 163,340 $ 152,117
(1) Included in Income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Income for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
(2) Amortization related to investments in qualified affordable housing partnerships under PAM was recorded in Income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Income for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
(3) Due to the adoption of ASU 2023-02 on January 1, 2024, amortization related to qualifying tax credit investments under PAM was recorded in Income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Income for the year ended December 31, 2024.
(4) Amortization related to tax credit and CRA investments was recognized in Amortization of tax credit and CRA investments as part of noninterest expense on the Consolidated Statement Income for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
(5) Includes impairment of $ 1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and net impairment recoveries of $ 1 million and $ 469 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The activity was primarily related to historic and/or energy tax credits.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company’s unfunded commitments related to investments in affordable housing partnership, tax credit and CRA investments, net are estimated to be funded as follows:
($ in thousands) Amount
2025 $ 304,008
2026 85,995
2027 9,434
2028 1,643
2029 1,306
Thereafter 5,478
Total $ 407,864
The Company also held equity securities without readily determinable fair values totaling $ 147 million and $ 146 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These equity securities without readily determinable fair values are included in Other Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Note 8 — Goodwill
Total goodwill was $ 466 million as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023. The Company’s goodwill impairment test is performed annually, as of December 31, or more frequently as events occur or circumstances change that would more-likely-than-not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. The Company completed its annual goodwill impairment test as of December 31, 2024 by using a qualitative assessment, and concluded goodwill was not impaired. Additional information pertaining to the Company’s accounting policy for goodwill is summarized in Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Goodwill to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The Company has an equity method investment in Rayliant and its carrying value was $ 108 million as of December 31, 2024, of which $ 101 million was comprised of equity method goodwill.
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Note 9 — Deposits
The following table presents the composition of the Company’s deposits as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing demand $ 15,450,428 $ 15,539,872
Interest-bearing checking 7,940,692 7,558,908
Money market 14,816,511 13,108,727
Savings:
Domestic office 1,583,657 1,638,916
Foreign office 167,963 202,551
Time deposits (1) :
Domestic office 21,128,657 16,037,287
Foreign office 2,087,115 2,006,177
Total deposits $ 63,175,023 $ 56,092,438
(1) The aggregate amount of time deposits that met or exceeded the deposit insurance limit was $ 16.5 billion and $ 13.6 billion as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The following table presents the scheduled maturities of time deposits for the five years succeeding December 31, 2024:
($ in thousands) Amount
2025 $ 22,590,146
2026 270,237
2027 299,214
2028 53,109
2029 3,066
Total $ 23,215,772
Note 10 — Short-Term Borrowings and Long-Term Debt
The following table presents details of the Company’s BTFP borrowings, FHLB advances, and long-term debt as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31,
2024 2023
($ in thousands) Interest Rate Maturity Dates Amount Amount
Parent company
Junior subordinated debt (1) — floating
6.17 % 12/15/2035 $ 32,001 $ 148,249
Bank
BTFP borrowings
4.37 % 3/19/2024 $ — $ 4,500,000
FHLB advances (2) :
Floating (3)
4.56 % — 4.61 %
2025 $ 3,000,000 $ —
Fixed 3.87 % — 3.95 %
2026 500,000 —
Total FHLB advances $ 3,500,000 $ —
(1) As of December 31, 2024, the remaining junior subordinated debt outstanding was issued by MCBI Statutory Trust I that had a stated interest rate of 3-month CME Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") + 1.81 %. The weighted-average contractual interest rates for junior subordinated debt were 6.17 % and 6.87 % as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(2) The weighted-average interest rate for FHLB advances was 4.48 % as of December 31, 2024.
(3) Floating interest rates are based on the SOFR plus the established spread.
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Bank Term Funding Program
As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s short-term borrowings consisted of funds from the BTFP, which were repaid upon maturity in March 2024.
FHLB Advances
The Bank’s available borrowing capacity from FHLB advances totaled $ 9.9 billion as of December 31, 2024. The Bank’s available borrowing capacity from the FHLB is derived from its portfolio of loans that are pledged to the FHLB, reduced by any outstanding FHLB advances. As of December 31, 2024, all advances were secured by real estate loans. In comparison, there were no FHLB advances borrowings as of December 31, 2023 .
Long-Term Debt — Junior Subordinated Debt
As of December 31, 2024, East West had one statutory business trust for the purpose of holding junior subordinated debt issued to third party investors. The proceeds from these issuances represent liabilities of East West to the Trust and are reported as a component of L o ng-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Interest payments on these securities are disbursed quarterly and are deductible for tax purposes. During the first quarter of 2024, the Company redeemed approximately $ 117 million of junior subordinated debt. The remaining outstanding principal amounts included $ 35 million of junior subordinated debt and $ 1 million of t rust preferred securities as of December 31, 2024.
Note 11 — Income Taxes
The following table presents the components of income tax expense (benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Current income tax expense:
Federal $ 166,268 $ 172,428 $ 163,797
State 153,891 173,080 160,629
Foreign 10,399 2,240 3,133
Total current income tax expense 330,558 347,748 327,559
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense:
Federal ( 6,467 ) ( 24,319 ) ( 23,484 )
State ( 5,582 ) ( 23,415 ) ( 21,835 )
Foreign ( 2,234 ) ( 1,405 ) 1,331
Total deferred income tax benefit
( 14,283 ) ( 49,139 ) ( 43,988 )
Income tax expense $ 316,275 $ 298,609 $ 283,571
The following table presents the reconciliation of the federal statutory rate to the Company’s effective tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
Statutory U.S. federal tax rate 21.0 % 21.0 % 21.0 %
U.S. state income taxes, net of U.S. federal income tax effect 7.7 8.1 7.8
Tax credits and benefits, net of amortization
( 7.4 ) ( 9.9 ) ( 8.9 )
Other, net — 1.3 0.2
Effective tax rate 21.3 % 20.5 % 20.1 %
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The following table summarizes the tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to a significant portion of deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023
Deferred tax assets:
Allowance for credit losses and nonperforming assets valuation allowance $ 233,879 $ 217,731
Net unrealized losses on AFS debt and transferred securities
223,814 246,835
Stock compensation and other accrued compensation 41,118 33,169
Lease liabilities 27,644 32,636
FDIC special assessment charge 16,843 22,212
Basis difference in investments
17,708 28,216
State capital loss and tax credit carryforwards
11,122 266
Nonaccrual loans’ interest income
8,809 7,034
State taxes 5,808 9,885
Other 14,665 10,535
Total deferred tax assets $ 601,410 $ 608,519
Deferred tax liabilities:
Operating lease right-of-use assets $ 25,647 $ 30,272
Basis difference in investments
25,587 23,103
Equipment lease financing 10,395 15,564
Prepaid expenses 2,319 2,981
FHLB stock dividends 1,961 1,947
Mortgage servicing assets 1,678 2,102
Other 20,479 13,801
Total deferred tax liabilities $ 88,066 $ 89,770
Net deferred tax assets $ 513,344 $ 518,749
The Company has not repatriated and does not intend to repatriate earnings from its foreign subsidiary. The Company determined such earnings are to be indefinitely reinvested in the local jurisdiction. The related unrecognized deferred tax liability on these earnings is immaterial.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had deferred tax assets of $ 8 million and $ 3 million related to state capital loss carryforwards and state tax credit carryforwards, respectively. These carryforwards are expected to be fully utilized before they start to expire in 2027. As of both December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company concluded that no valuation allowance was necessary to reduce the deferred tax assets since estimated future taxable income will be sufficient to utilize these assets. For further information on the Company’s valuation policy on deferred taxes, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Income Taxes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The following table presents a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Beginning balance $ 1,193 $ 477 $ 5,045
Additions for tax positions related to prior years 2,698 (1)
459 —
Additions for tax positions related to current year 779 257 —
Settlements with taxing authorities — — ( 4,568 ) (2)
Ending balance $ 4,670 $ 1,193 $ 477
(1) In 2024, the increase in positions related to prior years primarily related to proposed adjustments resulting from examination of the Company’s state tax returns.
(2) In 2022, the Company settled an issue regarding previously claimed tax credits related to DC Solar and affiliates.
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The Company recognizes interest and penalties, as applicable, related to the underpayment of income taxes as a component of Income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Income. The Company recorded net interest expense of $ 1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. In comparison, the net interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits were immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Total accrued interest included in Accrued expenses and other liabilitie s on the Consolidated Balance Sheet was $ 1 million as of December 31, 2024 and immaterial as of December 31, 2023.
The Company files federal income tax returns, as well as returns in various state and foreign jurisdictions. We are routinely examined by tax authorities in these various jurisdictions. The Company is subject to federal income tax examination for the tax years 2021 and forward. With few exceptions, the Company is also subject to tax examination in various state and local jurisdictions for the tax years 2020 and forward. The Company does not believe that the outcome of unresolved issues or claims in any of the tax jurisdictions is likely to be material on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company believes that adequate provisions have been recorded for all income tax uncertainties consistent with ASC 740, Income Taxes as of December 31, 2024.
Note 12 — Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments to Extend Credit — In the normal course of business, the Company provides loan commitments and letters of credit to customers on predetermined terms. These outstanding commitments to extend credit are not reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. While the Company does not anticipate losses from these transactions, commitments to extend credit are included in determining the appropriate level of allowance for unfunded credit commitments.
The following table presents the Company’s credit-related commitments as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
December 31,
2024 2023
($ in thousands) Expire in One Year or Less Expire After One Year Through Three Years Expire After Three Years Through Five Years Expire After Five Years Total Total
Loan commitments $ 4,741,319 $ 3,640,167 $ 661,403 $ 85,151 $ 9,128,040 $ 9,141,447
Commercial letters of credit and SBLCs 1,152,114 465,073 194,483 1,105,359 2,917,029 2,610,761
Total $ 5,893,433 $ 4,105,240 $ 855,886 $ 1,190,510 $ 12,045,069 $ 11,752,208
Loan commitments are agreements to lend to customers provided there are no violations of any conditions established in the agreement. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require commitment fees. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future funding requirements.
Commercial letters of credit are issued to facilitate domestic and foreign trade transactions, while SBLCs are generally contingent upon the failure of the customers to perform according to the terms of the underlying contract with the third party. As a result, the total contractual amounts do not necessarily represent future funding requirements. The Company’s historical experience is that SBLCs typically expire without being funded. Additionally, in many cases, the Company holds collateral in various forms against these SBLCs. As part of its risk management activities, the Company monitors the creditworthiness of customers in conjunction with its SBLC exposure. Customers are obligated to reimburse the Company for any payment made on the customers’ behalf. If the customers fail to pay, the Company would, as applicable, liquidate the collateral and/or offset existing accounts. As of December 31, 2024, total letters of credit of $ 2.9 billion consisted of SBLCs of $ 2.9 billion and commercial letters of credit of $ 29 million. In comparison, as of December 31, 2023, total letters of credit of $ 2.6 billion consisted of SBLCs of $ 2.6 billion and commercial letters of credit of $ 24 million. As of both December 31, 2024 and 2023, substantially all letters of credit were graded “Pass” using the Bank’s internal credit risk rating system.
The Company applies the same credit underwriting criteria to extend loans, commitments and conditional obligations to customers. Each customer’s creditworthiness is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Collateral and financial guarantees may be obtained based on management’s assessment of a customer’s credit risk. Collateral may include cash, accounts receivable, inventory, personal property, plant and equipment, and real estate property.
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Estimated exposure to loss from these commitments is included in the allowance for unfunded credit commitments, and amounted to $ 39 million and $ 38 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Guarantees — From time to time, the Company sells or securitizes single-family and multifamily residential loans with recourse in the ordinary course of business. The Company is obligated to repurchase up to the recourse component of the loans if the loans default. The following table presents the maximum potential future payments and carrying value of loans sold or securitized with recourse as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Maximum Potential Future Payments Carrying Value (1)
December 31, December 31,
2024 2023 2024 2023
($ in thousands) Expire in One Year or Less Expire After One Year Through Three Years Expire After Three Years Through Five Years Expire After Five Years Total Total Total Total
Single-family residential loans sold or securitized with recourse $ 10 $ — $ 40 $ 4,325 $ 4,375 $ 5,888 $ 4,375 $ 5,888
Multifamily residential loans sold or securitized with recourse — — 145 14,851 14,996 14,996 17,770 19,020
Total $ 10 $ — $ 185 $ 19,176 $ 19,371 $ 20,884 $ 22,145 $ 24,908
(1) Represents the unpaid principal balance.
The Company’s recourse reserve related to these guarantees is included in the allowance for unfunded credit commitments and totaled $ 34 thousand and $ 40 thousand as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The allowance for unfunded credit commitments is included in Accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company continues to experience minimal losses from the single-family and multifamily residential loan portfolios sold or securitized with recourse.
Litigation — The Company is a party to various legal actions arising in the ordinary course of its business. In accordance with ASC 450, Contingencies , the Company accrues reserves for outstanding lawsuits, claims and proceedings when a loss contingency is probable and can be reasonably estimated. The Company estimates the amount of loss contingencies using current available information from legal proceedings, advice from legal counsel and available insurance coverage. Due to the inherent subjectivity of the assessments and unpredictability of the outcomes of the legal proceedings, any amounts accrued or included in this aggregate amount may not represent the ultimate loss to the Company from the legal proceedings in question. Thus, the Company’s exposure and ultimate losses may be higher, and possibly significantly more than the amounts accrued.
While it is impossible to ascertain the ultimate resolution or range of financial liability, based on information known to the Company as of December 31, 2024, the Company does not believe there are any pending legal proceedings to which the Company is a party that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition. In light of the inherent uncertainty in legal proceedings, however, there can be no assurance that the ultimate resolution will not exceed established reserves and it is possible that the outcome of a particular matter, or a combination of matters, may be material to the Company’s financial condition for a particular period, depending upon the size of the loss and the Company’s income for that particular period.
Note 13 — Stock Compensation Plans
Pursuant to the Company’s 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, the Company may issue stock, stock options, restricted stock, RSUs including performance-based RSUs, stock purchase warrants, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock and dividend equivalents to eligible employees, non-employee directors, consultants, and other service providers of East West and its subsidiaries. The Company has granted RSUs as its primary incentive awards. There were no outstanding awards other than RSUs as of December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. An aggregate of 17 million shares of common stock were authorized under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, and the total number of shares available for grant was approximately 4 million as of December 31, 2024.
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The following table presents a summary of the total share-based compensation expense and the related net tax benefits associated with the Company’s various employee share-based compensation plans for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Stock compensation costs $ 45,535 $ 39,867 $ 37,601
Related net tax benefits for stock compensation plans $ 997 $ 8,959 $ 5,293
Restricted Stock Units — RSUs are granted under the Company’s long-term incentive plan at no cost to the recipient. RSUs generally cliff vest after three years of continued employment from the date of the grant, and are authorized to settle in shares of the Company’s common stock. Dividends are accrued during the vesting period and paid at the time of vesting. While a portion of RSUs are time-based vesting awards, others vest subject to attainment of additional specified performance goals, referred to as “performance-based RSUs.” Performance-based RSUs are granted annually upon approval by the Company’s Compensation and Management Development Committee based on the performance in the year prior to the grant date of the award. The number of awards that vest can range from zero percent to a maximum of 200 % of the granted number of awards based on the Company’s achievement of specified performance criteria over a performance period of three years . For information on accounting on stock-based compensation plans, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Stock-Based Compensation to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
The following table presents a summary of the activities for the Company’s time-based and performance-based RSUs that were settled in shares for the year ended December 31, 2024. The number of performance-based RSUs stated below reflects the number of awards granted on the grant date:
Time-Based RSUs Performance-Based RSUs
Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding, January 1, 2024
1,206,518 $ 74.29 276,223 $ 78.59
Granted 553,398 $ 76.44 97,798 $ 80.28
Vested ( 329,468 ) $ 72.05 ( 91,960 ) $ 77.67
Forfeited ( 81,836 ) $ 74.53 — $ —
Outstanding, December 31, 2024
1,348,612 $ 75.70 282,061 $ 79.48
The weighted-average grant date fair value of the time-based RSUs granted during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 was $ 76.44 , $ 73.13 , and $ 78.15 , respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value of the performance-based RSUs granted during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 was $ 80.28 , $ 79.93 and $ 77.91 , respectively. The total fair value of time-based RSUs that vested during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 was $ 25 million, $ 39 million and $ 30 million, respectively. The total fair value of performance-based RSUs that vested during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 was $ 12 million, $ 21 million and $ 18 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2024, there were $ 34 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested time-based RSUs expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.79 years, and $ 16 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested performance-based RSUs expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.13 years.
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Employee Stock Purchase Plan — The 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”) provides eligible employees of the Company the right to purchase shares of its common stock at a discount. Employees can purchase shares at 90 % of the fair market price subject to an annual purchase limitation of $ 22,500 per employee. As of December 31, 2024, the Purchase Plan qualifies as a non-compensatory plan under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code and, accordingly, no compensation expense has been recognized. 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock were authorized for sale under the Purchase Plan. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, 41,563 shares totaling $ 3 million and 65,971 shares totaling $ 3 million, respectively, were sold to employees under the Purchase Plan. As of December 31, 2024, there were 110,251 shares available under the Purchase Plan.
Note 14 — Stockholders’ Equity and Earnings Per Share
The following table presents the basic and diluted EPS calculations for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. For more information on the calculation of EPS, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Earnings Per Share to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.
Year Ended December 31,
($ and shares in thousands, except per share data) 2024 2023 2022
Basic:
Net income $ 1,165,586 $ 1,161,161 $ 1,128,083
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 138,898 141,164 141,326
Basic EPS $ 8.39 $ 8.23 $ 7.98
Diluted:
Net income $ 1,165,586 $ 1,161,161 $ 1,128,083
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 138,898 141,164 141,326
Add: Diluted impact of unvested RSUs 1,060 738 1,166
Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 139,958 141,902 142,492
Diluted EPS $ 8.33 $ 8.18 $ 7.92
Approximately six thousand, 283 thousand and three thousand weighted-average shares of anti-dilutive RSUs were excluded from the diluted EPS computation for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022,respectively.
Stock Repurchase Program — In 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program to buy back up to $ 500 million of the Company’s common stock. The following table presents the activity under the Company’s common share repurchase program for the periods indicated:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands, except shares and per share data) Shares Repurchased
Average Price per Share
Total Cost
2024 1,943,346 $ 74.33 $ 144,446
2023 1,506,091 $ 54.56 $ 82,174
2022 1,385,517 $ 72.17 $ 99,990
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Note 15 — Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income
The following table presents the changes in the components of AOCI balances for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
($ in thousands) Debt Securities (1)
Cash Flow Hedges Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments (2)
Total
Balance, December 31, 2021 $ ( 85,703 ) $ 257 $ ( 4,935 ) $ ( 90,381 )
Net unrealized losses arising during the period ( 620,870 ) ( 52,623 ) ( 16,348 ) ( 689,841 )
Amounts reclassified from AOCI 11,758 2,835 — 14,593
Changes, net of tax ( 609,112 ) ( 49,788 ) ( 16,348 ) ( 675,248 )
Balance, December 31, 2022 $ ( 694,815 ) $ ( 49,531 ) $ ( 21,283 ) $ ( 765,629 )
Net unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period 76,930 ( 4,277 ) ( 56 ) 72,597
Amounts reclassified from AOCI 16,004 56,432 — 72,436
Changes, net of tax 92,934 52,155 ( 56 ) 145,033
Balance, December 31, 2023 $ ( 601,881 ) $ 2,624 $ ( 21,339 ) $ ( 620,596 )
Net unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period 50,302 ( 87,447 ) ( 982 ) ( 38,127 )
Amounts reclassified from AOCI 9,427 64,036 — 73,463
Changes, net of tax 59,729 ( 23,411 ) ( 982 ) 35,336
Balance, December 31, 2024 $ ( 542,152 ) $ ( 20,787 ) $ ( 22,321 ) $ ( 585,260 )
(1) Includes after-tax unamortized losses related to AFS debt securities that were transferred to HTM in 2022.
(2) Represents foreign currency translation adjustments related to the Company’s net investment in non-U.S. operations, including related hedges. The functional currency and reporting currency of the Company’s foreign subsidiary was RMB and USD, respectively.
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The following table presents the components of other comprehensive (loss) income, reclassifications to net income and the related tax effects for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
($ in thousands) Before-Tax Tax Effect Net-of-Tax Before-Tax Tax Effect Net-of-Tax Before-Tax Tax Effect Net-of-Tax
Debt securities:
Net unrealized gains (losses) on AFS debt securities arising during the period $ 71,259 $ ( 20,957 ) $ 50,302 $ 109,216 $ ( 32,286 ) $ 76,930 $ ( 721,100 ) $ 213,221 $ ( 507,879 )
Unrealized losses on debt securities transferred from AFS to HTM — — — — — — ( 160,416 ) 47,425 ( 112,991 )
Reclassification adjustments:
Net realized (gains) losses on AFS debt securities reclassified into net income (1)
( 2,069 ) 612 ( 1,457 ) 6,862 (2)
( 2,029 ) 4,833 ( 1,306 ) 386 ( 920 )
Amortization of unrealized losses on transferred securities (3)
15,452 ( 4,568 ) 10,884 15,860 ( 4,689 ) 11,171 18,000 ( 5,322 ) 12,678
Net change 84,642 ( 24,913 ) 59,729 131,938 ( 39,004 ) 92,934 ( 864,822 ) 255,710 ( 609,112 )
Cash flow hedges:
Net unrealized losses arising during the period ( 124,382 ) 36,935 ( 87,447 ) ( 5,767 ) 1,490 ( 4,277 ) ( 74,069 ) 21,446 ( 52,623 )
Net realized losses reclassified into net income (4)
91,083 ( 27,047 ) 64,036 79,843 ( 23,411 ) 56,432 4,004 ( 1,169 ) 2,835
Net change ( 33,299 ) 9,888 ( 23,411 ) 74,076 ( 21,921 ) 52,155 ( 70,065 ) 20,277 ( 49,788 )
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of hedges:
Net unrealized (losses) gains arising during the period
( 809 ) ( 173 ) ( 982 ) 698 ( 754 ) ( 56 ) ( 15,059 ) ( 1,289 ) ( 16,348 )
Net change ( 809 ) ( 173 ) ( 982 ) 698 ( 754 ) ( 56 ) ( 15,059 ) ( 1,289 ) ( 16,348 )
Other comprehensive income (loss) $ 50,534 $ ( 15,198 ) $ 35,336 $ 206,712 $ ( 61,679 ) $ 145,033 $ ( 949,946 ) $ 274,698 $ ( 675,248 )
(1) Pre-tax amounts were reported in Net gains (losses) on AFS debt securities on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
(2) Represents the net loss related to an AFS debt security that was written-off in the first quarter of 2023 and subsequently sold during the fourth quarter of 2023.
(3) Represents unrealized losses amortized over the remaining lives of securities that were transferred from the AFS to HTM portfolio in 2022.
(4) Pre-tax amounts related to cash flow hedges on variable rate loans and long-term borrowings, where applicable, were reported in Interest and dividend income and in Interest expense, respectively , on the Consolidated Statement of Income. In 2023, pre-tax amount also includes the terminated cash flow hedge where the forecasted cash flows were no longer probable to occur and was reported in Noninterest income on the Consolidated Statement of Income.
Note 16 — Regulatory Requirements and Matters
The Company and the Bank are subject to regulatory capital adequacy requirements administered by the respective federal banking agencies that are based largely under the Basel III Capital Rules. As standardized approaches institutions, the Basel III Capital Rules require that banking organizations, such as the Company and the Bank, to maintain a minimum Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) capital ratio of at least 4.5 %, a Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 6.0 %, a total capital ratio of at least 8.0 %, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of a least 4.0 % to be considered adequately capitalized. Failure to meet the minimum capital requirements can result in certain mandatory actions and possibly additional discretionary actions by the regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company and the Bank are also subject to maintaining a capital conservation buffer of 2.5 % above the minimum risk-based capital ratios under the Basel III Capital Rules. Banking institutions with a ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but which does not exceed the capital conservation buffer will face constraints on dividends, share repurchases and executive compensation based on the amount of the shortfall.
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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 requires that the federal regulatory agencies adopt regulations defining capital categories for banks: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. Under the agencies’ Prompt Corrective Action regulations, failure of a bank to be well capitalized results in an escalating series of adverse regulatory consequences.
As of both December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company and the Bank were both categorized as well capitalized based on applicable U.S. regulatory capital ratio requirements in accordance with Basel III standardized approaches, as set forth in the table below. The Company believes that no changes in conditions or events have occurred since December 31, 2024, which would result in changes that would cause the Company or the Bank to fall below the well capitalized level. The following table presents the regulatory capital information of the Company and the Bank as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Basel III
December 31, 2024 (1)
December 31, 2023 (1)
($ in thousands) Amount Ratio Amount Ratio Minimum Regulatory Requirements Minimum Regulatory Requirements including Capital Conservation Buffer (3)
Well-Capitalized Requirement
Total capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Company $ 8,561,797 15.6 % $ 7,919,407 14.8 % 8.0 % 10.5 % 10.0 %
East West Bank $ 8,053,389 14.7 % $ 7,363,575 13.8 % 8.0 % 10.5 % 10.0 %
Tier 1 capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Company $ 7,839,816 14.3 % $ 7,140,778 13.3 % 6.0 % 8.5 % 6.0 %
East West Bank $ 7,367,996 13.4 % $ 6,732,946 12.6 % 6.0 % 8.5 % 8.0 %
CET1 capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Company (2)
$ 7,839,816 14.3 % $ 7,140,778 13.3 % 4.5 % 7.0 % N/A
East West Bank $ 7,367,996 13.4 % $ 6,732,946 12.6 % 4.5 % 7.0 % 6.5 %
Tier 1 leverage capital (to adjusted quarterly average assets)
Company (2)
$ 7,839,816 10.4 % $ 7,140,778 10.2 % 4.0 % 4.0 % N/A
East West Bank $ 7,367,996 9.8 % $ 6,732,946 9.6 % 4.0 % 4.0 % 5.0 %
N/A — Not applicable.
(1) Reflected a delay of the estimated impact of CECL on regulatory capital in accordance with regulatory capital rules.
(2) The well-capitalized requirements for CET1 capital and Tier 1 leverage capital apply only to the Bank since there is no CET1 capital ratio or Tier 1 leverage capital ratio component in the definition of a well-capitalized bank holding company.
(3) Includes a 2.5 % capital conservation buffer requirement above the minimum risk-based capital ratios.
Note 17 — Business Segments
The Company organizes its operations into three reportable operating segments: (1) Consumer and Business Banking; (2) Commercial Banking; and (3) Treasury and Other. These segments are defined by the type of customers served, and the related products and services provided. The CODM is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company. The CODM regularly reviews the Company’s operating results to allocate resources and assess performance. Operating segment results are also based on the Company’s internal management reporting process, which reflects the allocations of certain balance sheet and income statement line items. The CODM uses certain performance measures such as segment net income and considers variances of actual results from forecast results on a quarterly basis when making decisions on resource allocations between segments. The segment information presented is not indicative of how the segments would perform if they operated as independent entities.
The Consumer and Business Banking segment primarily provides financial products and services to consumer and commercial customers through the Company’s domestic branch network and digital banking platforms. This segment offers consumer and commercial deposits, mortgage and home equity loans, and other products and services. It also originates commercial loans for small- and medium-sized enterprises through the Company’s branch network. Other products and services provided by this segment include wealth management, private banking, treasury management, interest rate risk hedging and foreign exchange services.
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The Commercial Banking segment primarily generates domestic commercial loan and deposit products. Commercial loan products include CRE lending, construction finance, commercial business lending, working capital lines of credit, trade finance, letters of credit, affordable housing lending, asset-based lending, asset-backed finance, project finance and equipment financing. Commercial deposit products and other financial services include treasury management, foreign exchange services and interest rate and commodity risk hedging.
The remaining centralized functions, including the corporate treasury activities of the Company, eliminations of inter-segment amounts, and centrally managed departments, have been aggregated and included in the Treasury and Other segment.
The Company utilizes an internal reporting process to measure the performance of the three operating segments within the Company. The Company’s internal reporting process consists of certain allocation methodologies for revenues and expenses, and the internal funds transfer pricing (“FTP”) process. The FTP process is formulated with the goal of encouraging loan and deposit growth that is consistent with the Company’s overall profitability objectives, as well as providing a reasonable and consistent basis for the measurement of its business segments’ net interest margins and profitability. The FTP process charges a cost to fund loans (“FTP charges for loans”) and allocates credits for funds provided from deposits (“FTP credits for deposits”) using internal FTP rates. FTP charges for loans are determined based on a matched cost of funds, which is tied to the pricing and term characteristics of the loans. FTP credits for deposits are based on matched funding credit rates, which are tied to the implied or stated maturity of the deposits. FTP credits for deposits reflect the long-term value generated by the deposits. The net spread between the total internal FTP charges and credits is recorded as part of net interest income in the Treasury and Other segment. The corporate treasury function within the Treasury and Other segment is responsible for the Company’s liquidity and interest rate management and manages the corporate interest rate risk exposure. The Company’s internal FTP assumptions and methodologies are reviewed at least annually to ensure that the process is reflective of current market conditions.
Each segment’s net interest income represents the difference between actual interest earned on assets and interest incurred on liabilities of the segment, adjusted for funding charges or credits through the Company’s FTP process. Noninterest income and noninterest expense directly attributable to a business segment are assigned to that segment. Loan charge-offs and provision for credit losses are recorded to the segments, where the loans are recorded. Significant corporate overhead expenses incurred by centralized support areas in the Treasury and Other segment are allocated to the Consumer and Business Banking and Commercial Banking segments based on the segment’s estimated usage factors including, but not limited to, full-time equivalent employees, net interest income, and loan and deposit volume. Amortization of tax credit and CRA investments and certain types of administrative expenses are generally not allocated to segments.
During the third quarter of 2024, the Company refined its segment allocation methodology and reclassified certain deposits and their related income or expenses from the “Consumer and Business Banking” segment to the “Commercial Banking” or “Treasury and Other” segments, and certain loan balances and their related income or expenses from the “Commercial Banking” segment to the “Treasury and Other” segment. Balances for the prior years have been reclassified for comparability.
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The following tables present the operating results and other key financial measures for the individual operating segments as of and for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
($ in thousands) Consumer and Business Banking Commercial Banking Treasury and Other Total
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Net interest income before provision for credit losses $ 1,152,033 $ 1,125,931 $ 752 $ 2,278,716
Noninterest income 108,773 197,780 28,665 335,218
Total revenue before provision for credit losses 1,260,806 1,323,711 29,417 2,613,934
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses
8,691 166,953 ( 1,644 ) 174,000
Compensation and employee benefits 217,612 234,240 98,882 550,734
Other noninterest expense (1)
234,494 161,969 10,876 407,339
Total noninterest expense 452,106 396,209 109,758 958,073
Segment income (loss) before income taxes 800,009 760,549 ( 78,697 ) 1,481,861
Segment net income $ 563,218 $ 535,652 $ 66,716 $ 1,165,586
Average balances:
Loans $ 18,966,662 $ 32,996,221 $ 405,897 $ 52,368,780
Deposits $ 30,815,912 $ 25,820,956 $ 3,036,171 $ 59,673,039
As of December 31, 2024
Segment assets $ 20,084,814 $ 35,646,939 $ 20,244,722 $ 75,976,475
($ in thousands) Consumer and Business Banking Commercial Banking Treasury and Other Total
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Net interest income (loss) before provision for credit losses $ 1,225,954 $ 1,116,013 $ ( 29,713 ) $ 2,312,254
Noninterest income 103,890 168,502 22,872 295,264
Total revenue (loss) before provision for credit losses 1,329,844 1,284,515 ( 6,841 ) 2,607,518
Provision for credit losses 21,454 100,391 3,155 125,000
Compensation and employee benefits 203,387 217,663 87,488 508,538
Other noninterest expense (1)
262,086 158,949 93,175 514,210
Total noninterest expense 465,473 376,612 180,663 1,022,748
Segment income (loss) before income taxes 842,917 807,512 ( 190,659 ) 1,459,770
Segment net income (loss) $ 594,965 $ 570,153 $ ( 3,957 ) $ 1,161,161
Average balances:
Loans $ 17,739,984 $ 31,365,547 $ 439,605 $ 49,545,136
Deposits $ 28,174,781 $ 23,304,066 $ 3,483,884 $ 54,962,731
As of December 31, 2023
Segment assets $ 19,165,172 $ 35,020,106 $ 15,427,606 $ 69,612,884
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($ in thousands) Consumer and Business Banking Commercial Banking Treasury and Other Total
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Net interest income (loss) before provision for credit losses $ 1,061,238 $ 988,158 $ ( 3,515 ) $ 2,045,881
Noninterest income 113,722 174,365 10,579 298,666
Total revenue before provision for credit losses 1,174,960 1,162,523 7,064 2,344,547
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses 25,983 48,248 ( 731 ) 73,500
Compensation and employee benefits 195,394 211,355 70,886 477,635
Other noninterest expense (1)
196,581 102,018 83,159 381,758
Total noninterest expense 391,975 313,373 154,045 859,393
Segment income (loss) before income taxes 757,002 800,902 ( 146,250 ) 1,411,654
Segment net income $ 537,754 $ 569,982 $ 20,347 $ 1,128,083
Average balances:
Loans $ 15,534,259 $ 29,321,701 $ 463,498 $ 45,319,458
Deposits $ 27,276,151 $ 23,252,073 $ 3,771,355 $ 54,299,579
As of December 31, 2022
Segment assets $ 17,183,425 $ 32,770,772 $ 14,157,953 $ 64,112,150
(1) The Treasury and Other segment's other noninterest expense is primarily comprised of amortization of tax credit and CRA investments, and other operating expenses. The Consumer and Business Banking segment's other noninterest expense is primarily comprised of corporate overhead allocated expenses, occupancy and equipment expense, other operating expenses, and deposit insurance premiums and regulatory assessments. The Commercial Banking segment’s other noninterest expense is primarily comprised of corporate overhead allocated expenses, deposit account expense, occupancy and equipment expense, and deposit insurance premiums and regulatory assessments.
Note 18 — Parent Company Condensed Financial Statements
The following tables present the Parent Company-only condensed financial statements:
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET
December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents due from banks
$ 394,919 $ 445,770
Investments in subsidiaries:
Bank 7,251,084 6,542,852
Nonbank 10,423 13,502
Other assets 125,552 120,742
TOTAL $ 7,781,978 $ 7,122,866
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Long-term debt $ 32,001 $ 148,249
Other liabilities 26,923 23,783
Stockholders’ equity 7,723,054 6,950,834
TOTAL $ 7,781,978 $ 7,122,866
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CONDENSED STATEMENT OF INCOME
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Dividends from subsidiaries:
Bank $ 540,000 $ 704,000 $ 240,000
Nonbank 127 322 157
Other investment losses ( 954 ) ( 2,738 ) —
Other income 31 — —
Total income 539,204 701,584 240,157
Interest expense on long-term debt 4,507 10,889 5,450
Compensation and employee benefits 7,283 7,204 6,708
Other expense (income) (1)
1,839 ( 1,086 ) 1,254
Total expense 13,629 17,007 13,412
Income before income tax benefit and equity in undistributed income of subsidiaries
525,575 684,577 226,745
Income tax benefit 4,143 5,844 4,269
Undistributed earnings of subsidiaries, primarily bank 635,868 470,740 897,069
Net income $ 1,165,586 $ 1,161,161 $ 1,128,083
(1) Includes $ 3 million and $ 2 million in DC Solar recoveries for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income $ 1,165,586 $ 1,161,161 $ 1,128,083
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Undistributed earnings of subsidiaries, principally bank ( 635,868 ) ( 470,740 ) ( 897,069 )
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) 2,788 948 ( 2,193 )
Net change in other assets ( 6,912 ) ( 4,160 ) 4,250
Net change in other liabilities ( 802 ) ( 47 ) 779
Other operating activities, net 1,265 2,443 1,333
Net cash provided by operating activities 526,057 689,605 235,183
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Redemption of trust preferred securities 3,558 — —
Other investing activities, net ( 494 ) ( 95,095 ) ( 7,390 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
3,064 ( 95,095 ) ( 7,390 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Long-term debt:
Repayment of junior subordinated debt
( 116,558 ) — —
Common stock:
Proceeds from issuance pursuant to various stock compensation plans and agreements 3,023 3,208 3,178
Stock tendered for payment of withholding taxes ( 14,877 ) ( 23,751 ) ( 19,087 )
Repurchase of common stock pursuant to the stock repurchase program ( 143,082 ) ( 82,174 ) ( 99,990 )
Cash dividends paid ( 308,478 ) ( 274,554 ) ( 228,381 )
Net cash used in financing activities ( 579,972 ) ( 377,271 ) ( 344,280 )
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
( 50,851 ) 217,239 ( 116,487 )
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 445,770 228,531 345,018
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year $ 394,919 $ 445,770 $ 228,531
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Note 19 — Subsequent Events
Declaration of Dividend and Repurchase Authorization — On January 23, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors declared first quarter 2025 cash dividends for the Company’s common stock. The common stock cash dividend of $ 0.60 per share was paid on February 17, 2025 to stockholders of record as of February 3, 2025. In addition, on January 22, 2025, East West’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $ 300 million of East West stock.
Southern California Wildfires — In January 2025, several wildfires affected Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. Based on the Company’s assessment of available information regarding its loan portfolio and related collateral within the affected areas, the Company has determined that the impact to its consolidated financial statements is immaterial through the date of filing of this Form 10-K.
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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.