East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) shared its financial report showing that the bank made P3.4 billion in net income during the first six months of 2026. According to the disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 30, 2026, the bank’s strong business performance was partly offset by higher provisions set aside for potential loan losses.
Understanding the Numbers: How Did EastWest Make Money?
Think of a bank like a big piggy bank that helps people save money and also lends money to others. When the bank lends money, it charges a fee called “interest,” and that’s how it makes money.
EastWest’s total revenues (all the money it earned) grew by 19% to P28.4 billion, compared to P23.8 billion during the same time last year. This money came from two main sources:
- Net interest income (money earned from loans): This increased by 21% to P23.1 billion
- Non-interest income (money from other services like fees): This grew by 14% to P5.3 billion
Expenses and Profits Before Setting Money Aside
Just like how you might spend money on school supplies, banks also have expenses. EastWest’s operating expenses went up by 11% to P14.0 billion. However, since the bank’s revenues grew faster than its expenses, its pre-provision operating profit jumped by 30% to P14.4 billion.
The bank’s cost-to-income ratio stood at 49.3%, which means for every P100 the bank earned, it spent about P49 to run its operations.
The bank set aside P10.1 billion as provision for probable losses. This is like saving extra money in case some people who borrowed money can’t pay it back. According to the bank, this reflects a “more prudent approach” due to continued uncertainty in the economy and global events.
What EastWest’s CEO Said
“Our core businesses continued to deliver strong growth, as reflected in the increase in net revenues and pre-provision operating profit,” said Jerry G. Ngo, EastWest’s Chief Executive Officer. He added that the bank maintained a careful approach to managing risks while still supporting customers and looking for good growth opportunities.
How Big is EastWest Now?
The bank has grown bigger over the past year:
- Total assets: Increased by 16% to P623.9 billion
- Loans: Grew by 10% to P396.7 billion
- Deposits (money people keep in the bank): Rose by 15% to P472.9 billion
- CASA ratio: Maintained at 76% (this measures how much money people keep in current and savings accounts, which is cheaper for the bank)
The bank also maintained strong capital buffers, with a Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 12.5% and CET1 ratio of 11.7%. These numbers show the bank has enough money cushion to protect depositors, and both are well above what regulators require. These figures already account for the cash dividends the bank declared in May 2026.
New Features and Improvements
During the first half of 2026, EastWest improved several services for its customers:
- Enhanced its EastWest Priority wealth management service
- Launched Garmin Pay for easier payments
- Invested in digital technology, data systems, innovation, and artificial intelligence (AI)
The bank’s AI-powered chatbot named ESTA received three awards at the Digital CX Awards 2026. EastWest was also named the Philippines’ Best for Discretionary Portfolio Management at the 2026 Euromoney Private Banking Awards for the second year in a row.
Free Money Transfers for Customers
Starting July 15, 2026, EastWest waived fees for InstaPay transfers. PESONet transfers have been free since the beginning. This move supports the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) goal of making digital payments more accessible and affordable for all Filipinos.
About EastWest Bank
East West Banking Corporation is a Filipino-owned universal bank and a subsidiary of Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC), one of the country’s major conglomerates with businesses in real estate, banking, hospitality, infrastructure, power generation, and sugar. The bank is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange and has 2,249,975,411 common shares outstanding, according to the SEC filing.
The bank emphasized that it is not affiliated with any foreign financial institution that may have a similar name.
Source Note:This article is based on the company’s official press release and disclosures filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange’s Electronic Disclosure Generation Technology (PSE EDGE) system. For the complete and official version of the announcement, readers may visit the PSE EDGE website and search for the company’s filing directly.
