East West Bancorp Declares $0.80 Quarterly Dividend
East West Bancorp Inc (Nasdaq: EWBC), the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California, announced a $0.80 per share cash dividend for the second quarter of 2026. The dividend is payable May 18 to shareholders of record as of May 4.
East West Bancorp Inc (Nasdaq: EWBC), the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California with $82.9 billion in total assets, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.80 per share. The Board of Directors approved the second quarter 2026 dividend, payable May 18 to shareholders of record as of May 4, 2026. Read more dividend announcements.
The bank operates over 110 locations across the United States and Asia, with a U.S. presence in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington.
| Dividend Details | Date |
|---|---|
| Amount per Share | $0.80 |
| Record Date | May 4, 2026 |
| Payment Date | May 18, 2026 |
| Type | Quarterly Cash |
First Quarter 2026 Financial Performance
East West reported first quarter 2026 income tax expense of $100 million with an effective tax rate of 21.8%, down from 23.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025. The lower rate reflected discrete tax benefits related to stock-based compensation.
Net charge-offs for the first quarter totaled $12 million, or an annualized 0.09% of average loans held-for-investment, compared with $12 million, or 0.08%, in the prior quarter. The provision for credit losses was $36 million, up from $30 million in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Asset Quality Metrics
The nonperforming assets ratio remained unchanged at 0.26% of total assets as of March 31, 2026. Nonperforming assets increased $8 million to $216 million from $208 million at year-end 2025.
The allowance for loan losses increased to $836 million, or 1.44% of loans held-for-investment, as of March 31, 2026, compared with $810 million, or 1.42%, as of December 31, 2025. The increase was driven by loan growth and a change in portfolio mix.
Capital Actions
East West repurchased approximately 938,000 shares of common stock during the first quarter for $98 million. The company has $117 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization.