East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) posted a net income of P1.8 billion in the first quarter of 2025, sustaining its growth trajectory through strong consumer lending and continued optimization of its cost structure.
Return on Equity (ROE) remained healthy at 10 percent.
“Our first quarter performance reflects the solid momentum we’ve built in expanding our consumer franchise. We remain focused on driving profitability through disciplined growth and operational efficiency.” said EastWest President Jackie S. Fernandez.
EastWest’s revenues rose by 16 percent year-on-year to P11.6 billion, underpinned by a 13 percent increase in net interest income, which reached P9.3 billion.
The bank’s consumer lending portfolio grew by 15 percent and now accounts for 84 percent of total loans—the highest among peer banks. Deposits also expanded by 12 percent to P399.2 billion, with a CASA ratio of 74 percent, placing EastWest among the industry’s top performers.
This strong balance sheet performance translated to a net interest margin (NIM) of 8.1 percent, one of the highest in the sector. Non-interest income grew by 25 percent to P2.3 billion, boosted by fees from its lending business, which rose by 31 percent to P1.7 billion.
Operating expenses ended at P6.3 billion, slowing down to only 8 percent from the previous year. Expense increases were mostly attributed to manpower and business-related expenses for a growing Bank.
As a result, the cost-to-income ratio improved by 365 basis points to 54.3 percent, driven by efficiency efforts across the organization.
EastWest’s total assets rose by 11 percent to P531.2 billion, with loans and receivables increasing by 11 percent to P339.0 billion, propelled by robust growth in credit cards (36 percent) and personal loans (18 percent). Capital ratios remain strong and supportive of future growth, with CAR at 13.7 percent and CET1 ratio at 12.8 percent, well above regulatory standards.
EastWest recently declared cash dividends of P0.68 per share, amounting to P1.5 billion or 20 percent of 2024 earnings—marking the fourth consecutive year of dividend payouts.
