Bank of Hawai'i Corporation posts strong first quarter earnings growth

In the United States, Bank of Hawai'i Corporation announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2025 on April 21, 2025. The corporation reported a diluted earnings per common share of $0.97, a notable increase from $0.85 in the linked quarter and $0.87 in the same period the previous year. Additionally, their return on average common equity reached 11.80%, which was higher than the linked quarter's 10.30% and last year’s 11.20%. This demonstrates a positive trend in financial performance over these quarters. The company also provided insights into its revenue streams, revealing that net interest income was $125.8 million for the first quarter, reflecting a 4.7% growth from the linked quarter and a 10.4% increase compared to the same period in the prior year. The net interest margin rose to 2.32%, benefiting from a 13 basis point rise from the previous quarter and 21 basis points from the same time last year. This improvement in earnings was supported by the bank's continued optimization of its balance sheet and strong credit quality. In terms of noninterest income and expenses, the bank's noninterest income totaled $44.1 million, an improvement of 2.3% from the linked quarter and a 4.2% rise from the same quarter last year. Conversely, noninterest expenses amounted to $110.5 million, which marked a 2.3% increase sequentially and a 4.3% increase year-over-year. Notably, the provision for credit losses decreased slightly to $3.3 million from $3.8 million observed in the linked quarter, reflecting a management strategy that responded to increasing loans and investment securities. Overall, the corporation's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.70 per share. Such financial outcomes indicate robust operational efficiency and the company’s proactive approach in managing both assets and liabilities, setting a strong precedent for ongoing performance in the financial sector.