RankingBanking 25 - Flipbook - Page 9
7
The Highest Ranked California Banks
Source: RankingBanking, compiled by Piper Sandler & Co. using S&P Global Market Intelligence 2024 data
“If you are mostly interested in rate, you should
BANK NAME
HEADQUARTERS
RANK
Westamerica Bancorp.
San Rafael
#1
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Lodi
#3
West Coast Community Bancorp Santa Cruz
#4
River City Bank
Sacramento
#6
East West Bancorp
Pasadena
#12
Five Star Bancorp
Rancho Cordova
#13
Preferred Bank
Los Angeles
#23
with customers to buy time, if needed.
go to the other bank,” says Ng. “We feel that our
Like a lot of banks, CRE is East West’s bread
services would deserve us to earn a premium.”
and butter, and California is a big state with a lot
of highly valued commercial real estate, notes Ng.
CRE Headwinds
“There are a lot of commercial real estate devel-
Ng clearly sees the bank as an adviser to its cli-
opers, investors, in the state of California, and we
ents, and working with customers during the tariff
don’t necessarily like to do business with every
war illustrated the bank’s commitment to deep
one of them. We pick and choose the ones that we
relationships. Lately, East West has been working
want,” he says. Many of those clients have long-
with its CRE clients. They’re looking at maturities
term relationships with the bank. The loans have
over the next two or three years and considering
an average loan to value under 50%, he adds, and
various interest rate scenarios. They’re working
the borrower provides a personal guarantee.
