Financial Performance - Preferred Bank reported quarterly earnings of $2.23 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.33 per share, and down from $2.44 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of -4.29% [1] - The bank's revenues for the quarter ended March 2025 were $66.66 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.39%, and down from $71.57 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times and topped consensus revenue estimates two times [2] Stock Performance and Outlook - Preferred Bank shares have lost about 0.5% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has declined by -6.8% [3] - The company's earnings outlook is crucial for investors, with current consensus EPS estimates at $2.41 for the coming quarter and $9.69 for the current fiscal year [4][7] - The estimate revisions trend for Preferred Bank is currently unfavorable, resulting in a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating expected underperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Zacks Industry Rank for Banks - West is in the bottom 36% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting that the industry outlook may negatively impact stock performance [8] - Another company in the same industry, Sierra Bancorp, is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.66 per share, reflecting a year-over-year change of +3.1% [9]

Core Insights - Preferred Bank reported a net income of $30.0 million or $2.23 per diluted share for Q1 2025, reflecting a slight decrease from the previous quarter and a larger decrease compared to the same quarter last year, primarily due to reduced net interest income [1][3][7] Financial Performance - Net interest income was $62.7 million, down $6.5 million from the previous quarter and $5.8 million from the same quarter last year, largely due to a $2.8 million reversal of interest income from nonaccrual loans [2][7] - Noninterest income increased to $4.0 million, up $361,000 from the prior quarter and $933,000 from the same quarter last year, driven by higher letter of credit fee income and gains on sales of SBA loans [2][8] - Noninterest expense totaled $23.4 million, a decrease of $4.9 million from the previous quarter but an increase of $3.3 million compared to the same quarter last year, influenced by higher personnel and OREO expenses [2][9] Asset Quality - Non-accrual loans amounted to $78.9 million, primarily consisting of two well-secured loans totaling $65.6 million, with no anticipated losses [4][13] - Total criticized loans decreased to $129.2 million from $158.2 million at year-end, indicating improved asset quality [4][14] - The provision for credit losses was $700,000, significantly lower than the $2.0 million in the previous quarter and $4.4 million in the same quarter last year [15] Capitalization and Ratios - As of March 31, 2025, the Bank's tangible capital ratio was 10.96%, leverage ratio was 11.52%, and total capital ratio stood at 15.15%, showing stable capitalization [16][28] - Return on average assets was 1.76% and return on beginning equity was 15.96%, reflecting solid profitability metrics [9][27] Balance Sheet Summary - Total gross loans were $5.63 billion, a slight decrease from the previous quarter, while total deposits increased by $155.9 million to $6.07 billion [12][28] - Total assets rose to $7.1 billion, an increase of $176.7 million from the previous quarter, indicating growth in the Bank's overall financial position [12][28]

Core Viewpoint - Preferred Bank is set to release its financial results for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2025, on April 25, 2025, before market opening, followed by a conference call to discuss the results and outlook [1][3]. Company Overview - Preferred Bank is one of the larger independent commercial banks in California, chartered by the State of California, with deposits insured by the FDIC [4]. - The bank operates from its main office in Los Angeles and has twelve full-service branches in California, two branches in New York, and one in Texas, along with a Loan Production Office in Sunnyvale, California [4]. - Preferred Bank offers a wide range of deposit and loan products to commercial and consumer customers, focusing on personalized services for small and mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, and high net worth individuals [4]. - Originally founded as a Chinese-American bank, it now serves a diversified mainstream market while still benefiting from the migration of ethnic Chinese to California [4]. Conference Call Details - The conference call will be hosted by key executives including Chairman and CEO Li Yu, President Wellington Chen, and CFO Edward J. Czajka, discussing financial results, business highlights, and future outlook [3]. - Participants can access the call via domestic and international phone numbers or through a live webcast on the bank's Investor Relations website [2][3]. - A replay of the call will be available for a limited time after the event [3].

Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend ...

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC), (the “Bank”) one of the larger independent California banks, today reported that the Board of Directors had approved a significant donation to benefit fire relief efforts on the Los Angeles area. Li Yu, Chairman and CEO, commented, “The recent wildfires in Southern California have been devastating and one of the worst disasters in the history of Southern California. As a company headquartered in the heart of Los Angeles, the fires ...

Preferred Bank (NASDAQ:PFBC) Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call January 28, 2025 2:00 PM ET Company Participants Jeff Haas - Financial Profiles Li Yu - Chairman and CEO Edward Czajka - CFO Wellington Chen - President and COO Nick Pi - CCO Johnny Hsu - Deputy Chief Operating Officer Conference Call Participants Andrew Terrell - Stephens Matthew Clark - Piper Sandler Gary Tenner - D.A. Davidson Tim Coffey - Janney David Feaster - Raymond James Operator Good day, and welcome to the Preferred Bank Fourth Quarter ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a net income of $131 million, with a return on assets of 19.1% and a return on equity of 18.8%, which compares favorably with peers and industry averages [6][7] - The net income was impacted by a non-recurring rental expense adjustment of $810,000, which equated to approximately $0.42 on an after-tax basis [7] - Loan growth for the year was 7%, while deposit growth was 3.6%, both moderate compared to previous years but in line with industry averages [7][8] - Non-performing loans decreased from $20 million to $10 million, representing a 50% improvement [9] - The leverage capital ratio improved from 10.85% at the beginning of the year to 11.33% at year-end [11] - Tangible book value per common share increased from $50.54 to $57.86 [11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a reduction in criticized loans by 33% during the year [9] - The company repurchased 460,000 shares of common stock for a total consideration of $34 million [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted that the banking industry is experiencing slow growth, with no significant increases in activity anticipated in the near term [7][8] - The company is facing competition from local banks offering special rates, particularly in the Asian community [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to remain flexible in its pricing strategy to compete effectively in the market [22] - The management indicated that buybacks will depend on loan growth prospects, stock pricing, and capital ratios [23] - The company is establishing a new branch in Manhattan, expected to open in March 2025, which will increase occupancy and personnel expenses [47] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed a cautious outlook for the banking industry, expecting moderate growth [7][45] - The management highlighted that while there is still activity, payoff activity has been higher, indicating a lack of sustainable increases in loan activity [46] - The management noted that clients are currently hesitant to invest due to perceived risks, despite having capital available [62] Other Important Information - The company plans to make a significant donation to local wildfire relief efforts, which will increase donation expenses [30] - The company is actively purchasing treasuries to take advantage of favorable rates, with $60 million in ten-year treasury purchases made recently [50] Q&A Session Summary Question: Inquiry about margin stability - Management indicated that they do not foresee major effects on margins and expect them to remain relatively stable [16][17] Question: Capital repatriation and buyback plans - Management stated that buyback decisions will depend on loan growth prospects and stock pricing, with a possibility of continued buybacks if stock remains undervalued [23] Question: Spot rate on deposits - The spot rate on deposits was reported at 3.63% for December [28] Question: Expense run rate expectations - Management projected non-interest expenses at about $23 million for the upcoming year, including increased charitable contributions and elevated payroll taxes [30][31] Question: Loan growth and competitive landscape - Management noted elevated payoff activity and a lack of sustainable increases in loan activity, indicating a cautious outlook for future growth [42][45] Question: Health of borrowers and credit trends - Management reported that borrowers are generally healthy, with strong sponsors willing to support loans during challenging times [66][70]

For the quarter ended December 2024, Preferred Bank (PFBC) reported revenue of $72.81 million, up 1.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.25, compared to $2.60 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +4.01% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $70 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.42, the EPS surprise was -7.02%.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street e ...

Preferred Bank (PFBC) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.25 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.42 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.60 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -7.02%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this independent commercial bank would post earnings of $2.39 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.46, delivering a surprise of 2.93%.Over the last four quar ...

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC), one of the larger independent California banks, today reported results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. Preferred Bank (“the Bank”) reported net income of $30.2 million or $2.25 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2024. This represents a decrease in net income of $3.2 million from the prior quarter and a decrease of $5.6 from the same quarter last year. The decrease compared to both periods was mainly due to a one- ...