PFBC - Preferred Bank Reports Record Third Quarter Results

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC) , one of the larger independent California banks, today reported results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. Preferred Bank (“the Bank”) reported net income of $35.9 million or $2.84 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2025. This represents an increase in net income of $3.1 million from the prior quarter and an increase of $2.6 million over the same quarter last year. The increase compared to both periods was primarily due to an increase in net interest income. The primary reason that net interest income increased over the same quarter last year was due to a large $5.0 million decrease in interest expense. In comparison to the prior quarter, gross interest income increased by $6.4 million due to an increase in loans and investment securities.

Highlights for the Quarter:

• Return on average assets was 1.93%
• Return on average equity was 18.64%
• Total loans increased by $132.4 million or 2.3%, linked quarter
• Total deposits increased by $151.3 million, or 2.5%, linked quarter
• The efficiency ratio for the quarter was 28.7%
  
  

Li Yu, Chairman and CEO, commented, “We are pleased to report a quarterly record for diluted earnings per share of $2.84 for the third quarter of 2025. Net income for the quarter was $35.9 million.

“For the quarter, nonperforming loans decreased significantly from $52.3 million at June 30, 2025 to $17.6 million as of September 30, 2025. The primary reason for the decrease is the foreclosure of a loan with the balance transferred to OREO. We are happy to report that the OREO asset has already been sold as of this writing, and a large pre-tax gain was also recorded on the sale which will be reported in our fourth quarter results. Net charge-offs were $1.6 million on a year-to-date (“YTD”) basis.

“This quarter we have also recorded reasonable growth in both loans and deposits. Total loans increased by $132.4 million or 2.3% on a linked quarter basis. Deposits also increased by $151.3 million or 2.5% on a linked quarter basis. Our customers appear to be slightly more optimistic but still cautious as there are a lot of uncertainties remaining in our economy. Worth noting is that without the aforementioned loan transferred to OREO, loan growth would have been near $170 million for the quarter.

“Net interest income and the net interest margin both increased from the previous quarter while noninterest expense was relatively unchanged from previous quarters. In late June, regulators approved our stock repurchase program but for most of the time since then, the market price was above what we were willing to pay to buy it back. During the third quarter, we repurchased a total of 70,842 shares for total consideration of $6.3 million.”

Results of Operations

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin. Net interest income before provision for credit losses was $71.3 million for the third quarter of 2025. This represents a $4.4 million increase over the $66.9 million recorded in the prior quarter and a $2.5 million increase over the same quarter last year. The increase compared to the prior quarter was due to loan growth as well as an increase in the Bank’s investment securities. This was partially offset by an increase in interest expense which was due to deposit growth and an increase in borrowings. The increase over the same period last year was due to a $5.0 million decrease in interest expense partially offset by a smaller decrease in interest income. The Bank has made significant efforts to decrease rates on deposits and the results in this quarter are indicative of that effort. The Bank’s net interest margin expanded in the quarter to 3.92% from 3.85% last quarter but was lower than the net interest margin of 4.10% recorded in the third quarter of last year.

Noninterest Income. For the third quarter of 2025, noninterest income was $3.7 million compared with $3.5 million for the same quarter last year and compared to $3.8 million for the second quarter of 2025. The increase over the same quarter last year was due to letter of credit (LC) fee income which was up by $461,000. In comparison to the prior quarter, gains on sales of loans was down by $116,000.

Noninterest Expense . Total noninterest expense was $21.5 million for the third quarter of 2025 compared to $22.4 million for the second quarter of 2025 and compared to the $22.1 million recorded in the same period last year. The primary reason for the decrease from the prior quarter was mainly due to a $1.3 million write-down of the Bank’s OREO property which occurred in the second quarter of 2025 as compared to a $300,000 charge on OREO holdings this quarter. The decrease from the same quarter last year was due again to a $1.7 million write-down of the same property in the third quarter of 2024. Personnel expense was $14.2 million this quarter which was a $715,000 increase over the same period last year but was nearly flat compared to the second quarter of 2025. Occupancy expense was up by $414,000 over the same period last year due to the Bank’s branch expansions and the change in accounting for leases which was adopted in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Bank’s efficiency ratio came in at 28.7% for the quarter which compares to 31.8% last quarter and to 30.6% in the same quarter last year.

Income Taxes. The Bank recorded a provision for income taxes of $15.0 million for the third 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 second quarter of 2025. 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.

Year-to-Date Results

Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 was $98.8 million or $7.63 per diluted share compared to $100.4 million or $7.39 million last year. The reason that diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) increased over 2024 was due to the stock repurchases that occurred in late 2024 and early 2025 which decreased the outstanding share count, leading to increased diluted earnings per share. The primary reason for the decrease in net income was a decrease in net interest income of $2.6 million and a $5.5 million increase in noninterest expense partially offset by a $5.3 million decrease in the provision for credit losses.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total gross loans at September 30, 2025 were $5.87 billion, an increase of $231.4 million from the total of $5.64 billion as of December 31, 2024. Total deposits were $6.23 billion, an increase of $312.8 million from the $5.92 billion as of December 31, 2024. Total assets were $7.47 billion, an increase of $544.4 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 $17.6 million as of September 30, 2025. This represents a decrease from the prior quarter of $52.3 million as the Bank foreclosed on one of its large nonaccrual loans reported as of June 30, 2025. The $37 million multifamily nonaccrual loan was foreclosed on in the third quarter however the Bank has sold this property subsequent to September 30, 2025 and recorded a pre-tax gain on sale. Total OREO as of September 30, 2025 was $52.6 million as of September 30, 2025 however, as of this writing, OREO totals $14.7 million due to the aforementioned OREO sale. Total net charge-offs (recoveries) for the quarter were $1.6 million compared to net charge-offs of $44,000 in the prior quarter and compared to $(3,000) in the same quarter last year.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The provision for credit losses for the third quarter of 2025 was $2.5 million compared to $1.6 million last quarter and compared to $3.2 million in the same quarter last year.   The Bank’s allowance coverage ratio decreased to 1.27% of loans as compared to 1.29% in the prior quarter.

Capitalization

As of September 30, 2025, the Bank’s tangible capital ratio was 10.38%, the leverage ratio was 10.66%, the common equity tier 1 capital ratio was 11.34% and the total capital ratio stood at 14.56%. 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 third quarter 2025 financial results will be held tomorrow October 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 November 4, 2025; the passcode is 7582330.

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 .

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