EAST WEST BANCORP INC

The Company maintains a strong capital base to support its anticipated asset growth, operating needs, and credit risk exposures, and to ensure that the Company and the Bank are in compliance with all regulatory capital guidelines. The Company engages in regular capital planning processes on at least an annual basis to optimize the use of available capital and to appropriately plan for future capital needs, allocating capital to existing and future business activities. Furthermore, the Company conducts capital stress tests as part of its capital planning process. The stress tests enable the Company to assess the impact of adverse changes in the economy and interest rates on its capital base.

The Company’s stockholders’ equity increased $1.2 billion or 15% from $7.7 billion as of December 31, 2024 to $8.9 billion as of December 31, 2025. This increase was primarily due to $1.3 billion of net income and $240 million of other comprehensive income, partially offset by $335 million of cash dividends declared and $134 million from open-market common stock repurchases and tax withheld in the form of stock repurchase on vested RSUs. For other factors that contributed to the changes in stockholders’ equity, refer to Item 8. Financial Statements — Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equityin this Form 10-K.

On January 22, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $300 million of East West common stock, which will remain valid until December 31, 2026. The Company repurchased $115 million and $144 million of its common stock in 2025 and 2024, respectively.

The Company paid a cash dividend of $2.40 and $2.20 per share in 2025 and 2024, respectively. In January 2026, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a first quarter 2026 cash dividend of $0.80 per share, which represents a 33%, or 20 cents per common share, increase from the previous quarterly cash dividend of $0.60 per common share. The dividend was paid on February 17, 2026, to stockholders of record as of February 2, 2026.