Gotianun-led East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) posted a 5.6 percent growth in net income to ₱1.9 billion for the first three months of 2026 from ₱1.8 billion in the same period last year, driven by the sustained performance of its core businesses.

Amid a challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical environment, the bank said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange that its revenues increased by 15 percent to ₱13.3 billion, supported by the continued expansion of its core businesses.

“The Bank’s revenue generation capacity remains strong despite market volatility impacting trading-related revenues across the industry. This highlights the stability of our earnings base even in an uncertain operating environment,” said EastWest Chief Executive Officer Jerry G. Ngo.

Net interest income rose by 20 percent to ₱11.1 billion, reflecting higher loan volumes and effective funding cost management.

Non-interest income dipped 4.3 percent to ₱2.2 billion from ₱2.3 billion in the comparative period last year, tempered by softer trading performance amid volatile markets, even as fee income grew by eight percent to ₱1.9 billion, underscoring sustained customer activity.

Excluding the impact of market volatility on trading-related income, core income grew by 19 percent to ₱13.6 billion, underscoring the strength of the bank’s recurring earnings base.

Operating expenses increased marginally by one percent to ₱6.4 billion, driven mainly by volume-related costs, while the bank maintained disciplined investments in people and technology.

Pre-Provision Operating Profit (PPOP) remained resilient, rising by 32 percent to ₱6.9 billion and registering an efficient cost-to-income ratio (CIR) of 47.9 percent.

Provisions for credit losses amounted to ₱4.7 billion, reflecting the Bank’s conservative and forward-looking approach to credit risk management should macroeconomic challenges persist.

Non-performing loan coverage stood at 85 percent, reflecting the bank’s measured approach to managing credit risk.

EastWest’s assets increased by 11 percent to ₱588.9 billion, mainly from healthy lending expansion, with loans growing by 14 percent to ₱390.4 billion.

This was supported by similar growth in funding, with deposits increasing by 14 percent to ₱455.3 billion. (current account and savings account (CASA) ratio remained robust at 78 percent, highlighting the bank’s stable funding base.

The bank also maintained solid capital buffers, with a Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 12.8 percent and CET1 ratio of 12.0 percent, both well above regulatory standards, providing sufficient capacity to navigate uncertainty and support growth.

“We strive to remain steady through changing market conditions. By remaining disciplined, we preserve our flexibility and resilience, allowing us to support customers and capture growth opportunities as conditions become more favorable,” Ngo said. (James A. Loyola)