East West Bancorp is the holding company for East West Bank, a commercial bank headquartered in Southern California. East West positions itself as the largest U.S.-focused bank serving customers who operate across the U.S. and Asia, and holds a rare commercial banking license in mainland China through its subsidiary. East West serves two core customer groups: U.S.-Asia cross-border businesses that need trade finance, letters of credit, FX, and commercial lending; and the Asian American community, served through 96 U.S. branches concentrated in California, Texas, and New York. East West operates through three segments: Consumer and Business Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury. The bank earns most of its revenue through net interest income — the spread between loan yields and deposit costs — and a growing fee income stream from wealth management, FX, derivatives, trade finance, and deposit services. East West funds loan growth primarily through core customer deposits rather than wholesale borrowings, keeping funding costs lower and more stable. The bank has been rebalancing its loan book toward a roughly equal mix of C&I, commercial real estate, and single-family residential mortgage loans. East West invests in tax credit projects, which reduce its effective tax rate. East West's growth priorities include expanding fee income, growing non-interest-bearing deposits, building out its FX payments and treasury management platforms, and selectively expanding its commercial banking presence in Texas and New York.