EastWest Bank expects sustained asset growth

EAST WEST BANKING Corp. (EastWest Bank) expects sustained asset growth this year, still driven by its consumer business.

“We’ve looked at it, maybe [assets could grow by] low to mid-teens. Again, keep it steady. We’ve been doing that for the last three years, so no change in strategy. It’s really how you sustain that growth over time that really matters,” EastWest Bank Chief Executive Officer Jerry G. Ngo told reporters late on Wednesday.

He said their consumer business will be the main asset growth driver as it still accounts for a majority of its loan portfolio.

“Most of our assets are consumer lending. So, that’s what we’re looking at. Maybe, again, for the past three years, it’s been low to mid-teens. And that is sustainable over a period of time.”

The bank is looking to further expand its auto and home loan portfolios, Mr. Ngo said, adding that about 25% of EastWest Bank’s loan book is made up of auto loans, while credit cards comprise a bigger portion. Salary loans also take up about a quarter of its portfolio.

Their loan-to-deposit ratio is at the 70%-80% range, he added.

Steady expansion in assets, loans, and deposits, which are all growing at about the same pace, keeps the bank liquid, giving them the flexibility to be opportunistic in tapping the bond market, Mr. Ngo said.

“We’re actively looking. We’re actively waiting for the right time. But there’s no impetus. Our liquidity is strong and sufficient. But the pricing is good right now, so we’re also waiting for the right time.”

He added that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ ongoing easing cycle and potential cuts to banks’ reserve requirement ratios could also boost their liquidity further.

While EastWest Bank could consider issuing bonds if there is enough investor demand, corporate activity in the capital markets has been increasing, he said. “We’re waiting for a clear market.”

In 2023, the bank approved a P30-billion bond program, with issuances expected over a five-year period. No drawdown has been made so far.

EastWest Bank last tapped the domestic market in February 2020, raising P3.7 billion from an issuance of three-year fixed-rate bonds.

Meanwhile, the bank will also continue to invest in improving its artificial intelligence capabilities, Mr. Ngo added, which they expect to help in managing their operating costs over time.

“We’re studying that specifically. But I think the most important improvements are how do we leverage on those capabilities to make our relationship managers more effective? How do we augment capabilities? How do you make advice better?” he said.

“That’s something that we want to focus on going forward, is to see how we could take that across relationship managers. It will still be people to people, but people augmented with artificial intelligence.”

EastWest Bank’s attributable net income rose by 6.25% year on year to P2.48 billion in the third quarter of 2025, driven by its consumer book. This brought its nine-month profit to P6.62 billion, up by 13.81% from the same period in 2024.

Its shares went down by 10 centavos or 0.8% to end at P12.46 apiece on Thursday. — Aaron Michael C. Sy