Hope Bancorp(US:HOPE)2026-01-27 18:32Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a net income of $34 million for Q4 2025, representing a 42% increase quarter-over-quarter, driven by growth in net interest income, customer fee income, lower provision for credit losses, and a lower tax expense, partially offset by higher operating expenses [4] - Net interest income totaled $127 million for Q4 2025, an increase of 1% from the prior quarter and up 25% from Q4 2024 [9] - The efficiency ratio for Q4 2025 was stable at 68%, with revenue growth effectively absorbing incremental investments [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Gross loans reached $14.8 billion, up 1% quarter-over-quarter and up 8% year-over-year, largely due to the Territorial acquisition and organic residential mortgage growth [7] - Non-interest income showed growth across several fee income lines, with customer-level swap fees increasing by 270% year-over-year [10][11] - Non-interest expense totaled $99 million in Q4 2025, up from $97 million in Q3 2025, primarily driven by compensation-related costs [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Deposits totaled $15.6 billion, up 9% year-over-year, primarily due to the Territorial acquisition, but down 1% from Q3 2025 [8] - The criticized loan ratio improved to 2.39% of loans at December 31, 2025, down from 2.56% at September 30, 2025, and down from 3.30% at December 31, 2024 [13] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to build a durable deposit base by expanding primary customer relationships and improving funding efficiency [8] - The strategic focus includes strengthening the organization and expanding the banking footprint, particularly through the acquisition of Territorial Bancorp [4][8] - The company targets a return on average assets of approximately 1.2% and aims for loan growth in the high single-digit percentage range [18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in continuing to build on growth momentum from the second half of 2025, supported by hiring in frontline teams [16] - The outlook for 2026 includes expectations for year-over-year revenue growth of 25%-30%, driven by strong fee income growth and net interest margin expansion [17] - Management noted that the integration of operations in Hawaii has been successful, with no significant deposit fluctuations reported [37] Other Important Information - The board declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.14 per share, payable on or around February 20, 2026 [6] - The company reinstated a share purchase authorization with $35 million available for buybacks [7] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can I quickly just get the PAA accretion number? - The company does not disclose that number separately [22] Question: Can I get your thoughts on deposit costs from here in terms of pricing? - The spot rate on total deposits was 2.68% as of December 31, 2025, and the company expects continued downward repricing of the CD portfolio [23] Question: What does the CD repricing look like going forward in 2026? - The company is looking at a repricing of $6.3 billion in 2026, with new CDs coming in at around 3.75-3.80% [29][32] Question: Can you provide an update on the operations in Hawaii? - The focus in Hawaii was on successful integration and resource addition, with positive reception from the customer base [37]