EAST WEST BANCORP INC

The following table presents the components of noninterest expense for the periods indicated:

Noninterest expense was $1.0 billion in 2025, an increase of $88 million or 9%, compared with 2024. The increase was primarily due to higher compensation and employee benefits, amortization of tax credit and CRA investments, other operating expense, and computer and software related expenses, partially offset by lower deposit insurance premiums and regulatory assessments, and deposit account expense.

Compensation and employee benefits were $619 million in 2025, an increase of $68 million or 12%, compared with 2024. The year-over-year increase was primarily driven by $31 million of additional compensation expense recognized from the change in equity award expense recognition for retirement eligible employees, while the remaining increase was due to merit increases and staffing growth. Refer to Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Stock-Based Compensationfor details related to the change in the timing of recognition for awards granted to retirement-eligible employees.

Deposit account expense was $35 million in 2025, a decrease of $12 million or 26%, compared with 2024. The year-over-year decrease was primarily driven by lower balances and referral rates paid on certain deposit accounts.

Computer and software related expenses were $55 million in 2025, an increase of $7 million or 16% compared with 2024. The year-over-year increases primarily reflected higher software expenses and data processing costs to support the Company’s growth.

Deposit insurance premiums and regulatory assessments were $32 million in 2025, a decrease of $14 million or 31%, compared with 2024. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to lower FDIC charges, which reflected a decrease in the estimated losses to the FDIC’s DIF. For additional information related to the FDIC charge, see Item 1. Business — Supervision and Regulation — FDIC Deposit Insurance Assessmentsin this Form 10-K.

Other operating expense was $165 million in 2025, an increase of $17 million or 11%, compared with 2024. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to problem loan related expenses, higher consulting expenses for various Company initiatives, and other real estate owned (“OREO”) write-downs, partially offset by a decrease in interest paid on cash collateral.

Amortization of tax credit and CRA investments was $75 million in 2025, an increase of $21 million or 38%, compared with 2024. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to the timing of tax credit investments that closed in a given period.