East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) registered a net income of P4.1 billion in the first six months of the year, a 19% growth from the same period last year, on the back of its consistent core revenue generation. Return on Equity (ROE) stood at 11.1%.

Revenues increased by 17% year-on-year to P23.8 billion, from the continuous growth in net interest income of 15%, to P19.2 billion. This was driven by its consumer lending business, growing by 15% and making up 84% of the Bank’s total loan portfolio. This strong performance of the Bank’s core businesses was also supported by a 29% growth in fee income, to P3.5 billion.

Operating expenses rose 9% to P12.7 billion, much slower than revenues, driven by manpower investments and business expansion. Despite this, the Bank improved its cost-to-income ratio by 380 basis points to 53.2%, from the faster growth of revenues, supported by productivity gains and digital efficiencies.

“Our core consumer banking businesses are performing well, growing in line with the needs of our customers. Our funding initiatives are likewise supporting our funding structure and growth plans. These are key components of our performance that have led to our steady core income improvement, which combined with operational efficiencies pushed our profitability.” said EastWest CEO Jerry G. Ngo.

Key initiatives included deeper personalization across customer touchpoints and broader access to products and services via the EasyWay App. Client engagement remained a priority, marked by nationwide economic forums, lifestyle events like the EastWest Dream Run 2025, and partnerships such as the EastWest Puregold Always Panalo Visa Credit Card. “These initiatives, along with the ongoing “EasyWay to Bank” Store transformation, continued to streamline operations and enhance customer experience” said President Jackie S. Fernandez.

EastWest’s total assets rose by 8% to P537.6 billion, funded largely by deposits that grew by 11% to P412.6 billion, maintaining a CASA ratio of 79%. Meanwhile, capital ratios remain strong and supportive of future growth, with Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) at 13.4% and CET1 ratio at 12.6%, well above regulatory standards.

EastWest closed the first half of the year with several notable recognitions that affirmed its industry standing. It was named “Mid-Sized Retail Bank of the Year – Philippines” at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards 2025 and “Most Consumer-Centric Bank” at the ASEAN Fintech Forum Awards. The Bank also earned Great Place to Work Certification and was recently recognized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with the Outstanding BSP Stakeholders Award for its support of the Cash Service Alliance.