Preferred Bank Reports Second Quarter Results

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LOS ANGELES, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC), one of the larger independent California banks, today reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. Preferred Bank ("the Bank”) reported net income of $32.8 million or $2.52 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2025. This represents an increase in net income of $2.8 million from the prior quarter and a small decrease of $745,000 from the same quarter last year. The increase compared to the prior quarter was mainly due to an increase in net interest income as there was a $2.8 million reversal of interest income which occurred in the first quarter of 2025. The decrease from the same quarter last year was due mainly to an increase in noninterest expense, which was up by $2.8 million, which was due to a $1.3 million write down of the Bank’s Santa Barbara OREO property.

Highlights for the Quarter:

Return on average assets was 1.85%Return on average equity was 17.55%Total loans increased by $105.2 million or 1.9%, linked quarterThe efficiency ratio was 31.79% Li Yu, Chairman and CEO, commented, "We are pleased to report our results for the second quarter of 2025. We recorded net income of $32.8 million or $2.52 per fully diluted share. This quarter we had an increase in our loan portfolio of 1.8% (linked quarter), however, deposits only increased slightly. The Bank’s net interest margin improved to 3.85%. Last quarter we reported a net interest margin of 3.75% which was negatively impacted by an outsized interest reversal.

Our credit quality is trending positively, non-accrual loans decreased from $78.9 million as of March 31, 2025 to $51.2 million at June 30, 2025. Total criticized loans also decreased by a similar amount. Likewise, 30 - 89 days past due loans are trending positively, too.

The uncertainty caused by the tariffs is beginning to clear up, and together with a new budget we now have a better picture of our operating environment. We look forward to be able to plan for the Bank’s future.”

Results of Operations

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin. Net interest income before provision for credit losses was $66.9 million for the second quarter of 2025. This represents a $4.2 million increase over the $62.7 million recorded in the prior quarter and a $767,000 increase over the same quarter last year. The increase compared to the prior quarter was due to a $2.8 million reversal of interest income in the prior quarter due to the recognition of two non-accrual loans. The increase over the same period last year was due primarily to loan growth and growth in the investment portfolio, partially offset by growth in deposits. Interest expense decreased by $7.6 million from the second quarter of 2024 due to lower deposit rates but increased over the prior quarter due to deposit growth and FHLB borrowings expense. During the second quarter of 2025, the Bank borrowed $200 million in term borrowings from the FHLB and invested the funds in U.S. Treasuries to lock in an interest spread. Because the spread on the borrowings and the U.S. Treasuries was less than the Bank’s net interest margin, it has the effect of compressing the margin but does increase net interest income. The Bank’s net interest margin came in at 3.85% for the quarter, this is up from the 3.75% posted last quarter but down from the 3.96% margin achieved in the second quarter of the prior year.

Noninterest Income. For the second quarter of 2025, noninterest income was $3.8 million compared with $3.4 million for the same quarter last year and compared to $4.0 million for the first quarter of 2025. The increase over the same quarter last year was due to letter of credit (LC) fee income which was up by $584,000. In comparison to the prior quarter, other income was down by $142,000 and gains on SBA loan sales were down by $103,000.

Noninterest Expense. Total noninterest expense was $22.5 million for the second quarter of 2025 compared to $23.4 million for the first quarter of 2025 and compared to the $19.7 million recorded in the same period last year. The primary reason for the decrease from the prior quarter was mainly due to personnel expense which decreased by $592,000. The decrease was due to payroll taxes which spike in the first quarter due to the payout of incentive compensation. In comparing to the same quarter last year, personnel expense was up by $1.3 million, occupancy expense was up by $555,000 and OREO expense was up by $1.5 million due to a valuation charge of $1.3 million related to the OREO property in Santa Barbara. Salary expenses increased over the same quarter last year due mainly to an increase in personnel and merit increases as well as a decrease in loan origination cost deferrals.

Income Taxes. The Bank recorded a provision for income taxes of $13.7 million for the second quarter of 2025. This represents an effective tax rate ("ETR”) of 29.5% which is up from the 29.0% ETR for the same quarter last year and the same as the 29.5% ETR recorded in the prior quarter. The Bank’s ETR will fluctuate slightly from quarter to quarter within a fairly small range due to the timing of taxable events throughout the year.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total gross loans at June 30, 2025 were $5.74 billion, an increase of $99.0 million from the total of $5.64 billion as of December 31, 2024. Total deposits were $6.08 billion, an increase of $161.5 million from the $5.92 billion as of December 31, 2024. Total assets were $7.28 billion, an increase of $355.3 million over the total of $6.92 billion as of December 31, 2024.

Asset Quality

Non-accrual loans and loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing totaled $52.3 million as of June 30, 2025. This represents a decrease from the prior quarter of $26.6 million as the Bank sold one of the two larger non-accrual loans during the quarter, at par. The other significant non-accrual loan of $37.1 million is in bankruptcy and as previously mentioned, the Bank does not expect any loss content on the resolution of this loan. Total net charge-offs (recoveries) for the quarter were $44,000 compared to net recoveries of ($97,000) in the prior quarter. In addition to that, the Bank wrote down the value of its OREO property in Santa Barbara by $1.3 million, reflecting the proposed net proceeds of the most recent sales contract that the Bank was involved in, which sale did not materialize. Total criticized loans decreased to $104.5 million from $129.2 million reported in the prior quarter.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The provision for credit losses for the second quarter of 2025 was $1.6 million compared to $700,000 last quarter and compared to $2.5 million in the same quarter last year. The Bank’s allowance coverage ratio increased to 1.29% of loans as compared to 1.28% in the prior quarter.

Capitalization

As of June 30, 2025, the Bank’s tangible capital ratio was 10.26%, the leverage ratio was 10.73%, the common equity tier 1 capital ratio was 11.18% and the total capital ratio stood at 14.43%. As of December 31, 2024, the Bank’s tangible capital ratio was 11.02%, the Bank’s leverage ratio was 11.33%, the common equity tier 1 ratio was 11.80% and the total capital ratio was 15.11%.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call with simultaneous webcast to discuss Preferred Bank’s second quarter 2025 financial results will be held this afternoon July 21, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern / 11:00 a.m. Pacific. Interested participants and investors may access the conference call by dialing 888-243-4451 (domestic) or 412-542-4135 (international) and referencing "Preferred Bank.” There will also be a live webcast of the call available at the Investor Relations section of Preferred Bank's website at www.preferredbank.com.

Preferred Bank's Chairman and CEO Li Yu, President and Chief Operating Officer Wellington Chen, Chief Financial Officer Edward J. Czajka, Chief Credit Officer Nick Pi and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Johnny Hsu will discuss Preferred Bank's financial results, business highlights and outlook. After the live webcast, a replay will be available at the Investor Relations section of Preferred Bank's website. A replay of the call will also be available at 877-344-7529 (domestic) or 412-317-0088 (international) through July 28, 2025; the passcode is 9171084.

About Preferred Bank

Preferred Bank is one of the larger independent commercial banks headquartered in California. The Bank is chartered by the State of California, and its deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, to the maximum extent permitted by law. The Bank conducts its banking business from its main office in Los Angeles, California, and through twelve full-service branch banking offices in California (Alhambra, Century City, City of Industry, Torrance, Arcadia, Irvine (2), Diamond Bar, Pico Rivera, Tarzana and San Francisco (2)), two branches in New York (Manhattan and Flushing, Queens) and a branch office in the Houston, Texas suburb of Sugar Land. In addition, the Bank also operates a loan production office in Sunnyvale, California. Preferred Bank offers a broad range of deposit and loan products and services to both commercial and consumer customers. The Bank provides personalized deposit services as well as real estate finance, commercial loans and trade finance to small and mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, professionals and high net worth individuals. Although originally founded as a Chinese-American Bank, Preferred Bank now derives most of its customers from the diversified mainstream market but does continue to benefit from the significant migration to California of ethnic Chinese from China and other areas of East Asia.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Bank’s future financial and operating results, the Bank's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Bank’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: changes in economic conditions; changes in the California real estate market; the loss of senior management and other employees; natural disasters or recurring energy shortage; changes in interest rates; competition from other financial services companies; ineffective underwriting practices; inadequate allowance for loan and lease losses to cover actual losses; risks inherent in construction lending; adverse economic conditions in Asia; downturn in international trade; inability to attract deposits; inability to raise additional capital when needed or on favorable terms; inability to manage growth; inadequate communications, information, operating and financial control systems, technology from fourth party service providers; the U.S. government’s monetary policies; government regulation; environmental liability with respect to properties to which the bank takes title; and the threat of terrorism. Additional factors that could cause the Bank's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the Bank’s 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation which can be found on Preferred Bank’s website. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of the press release, and the Bank assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. For additional information about Preferred Bank, please visit the Bank’s website at www.preferredbank.com.

AT THE COMPANY:AT FINANCIAL PROFILES:Edward J. Czajka

Executive Vice President

Chief Financial Officer

(213) 891-1188

Jeffrey Haas

General Information

(310) 622-8240

[email protected]

Financial Tables to Follow

 PREFERRED BANKCondensed Consolidated Statements of Operations(unaudited)(in thousands, except for net income per share and shares)                For the Quarter Ended      June 30, March 31, June 30,      2025 2025 2024 Interest income:        Loans, including fees $105,884 $101,491 $109,451  Investment securities  14,326  12,810  17,552  Fed funds sold  233  228  291   Total interest income  120,443  114,529  127,294            Interest expense:        Interest-bearing demand  16,171  16,590  24,205  Savings  71  69  79  Time certificates  34,932  33,887  35,578  FHLB borrowings  1,070  -  -  Subordinated debt  1,325  1,325  1,325   Total interest expense  53,569  51,871  61,187   Net interest income  66,874  62,658  66,107 Provision for credit losses  1,600  700  2,500   Net interest income after provision for credit losses  65,274  61,958  63,607            Noninterest income:        Fees & service charges on deposit accounts  635  716  819  Letters of credit fee income  2,333  2,244  1,749  BOLI income  104  103  105  Net gain on sale of other real estate owned  12  -  -  Net gain on sale of loans  172  275  353  Other income  518  660  378   Total noninterest income  3,774  3,998  3,404            Noninterest expense:        Salary and employee benefits  14,247  14,839  12,944  Net occupancy expense  2,271  2,294  1,716  Business development and promotion expense  240  462  403  Professional services  1,507  1,651  1,832  Office supplies and equipment expense  419  386  477  OREO valuation allowance and related expense  1,491  1,531  29  Other   2,282  2,206  2,296   Total noninterest expense  22,457  23,369  19,697   Income before provision for income taxes  46,591  42,587  47,314 Income tax expense  13,744  12,563  13,722   Net income $32,847 $30,024 $33,592            Income per share available to common shareholders         Basic $2.56 $2.27 $2.51   Diluted $2.52