BBCN Bancorp, Inc. (BBCN)

[56Chevy]

BBCN Bancorp Reports Fourth Quarter 2012 Net Income of $21.5 Million, or $0.28 Per Share; Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend of...

BBCN Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BBCN), the holding company of BBCN Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income available to common stockholders of $21.5 million, or $0.28 per diluted common share, for fourth quarter 2012. This compares with net income available to common stockholders of $2.9 million, or $0.05 per diluted common share, for fourth quarter 2011, and net income available to common stockholders of $18.4 million, or $0.24 per diluted common share, for third quarter 2012.

For the full 2012 year, the Company posted net income available to common stockholders of $77.6 million, or $0.99 per diluted common share. This compares with net income available to common stockholders of $22.5 million, or $0.53 per diluted common share, for 2011, which reflects the operations of 11 months of the former Nara Bancorp, Inc. and one month of combined operations following the merger with Center Financial Corporation (“Center”), completed November 30, 2011.

The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend for first quarter 2013. All stockholders of record as of February 8, 2013 will be paid a cash dividend of $0.05 per common share, payable on or about February 22, 2013.

“We completed our first full year of operations as the leading Korean American bank in the nation with strong performances on all fronts,” said Alvin D. Kang, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Fourth quarter 2012 new loan originations of $371.2 million exceeded the strong levels of the preceding quarter. This performance helped to mitigate the net interest margin compression in the current interest rate environment and supported a five percent linked quarter increase in our pre-tax pre-provision earnings, which amounted to 2.83% of average assets on an annualized basis. Combined with steadily improving asset quality trends, we reported another quarter of strong core profitability to complete the year. All-in-all, we believe BBCN is well positioned for continued profitability and growth.”

The Company noted that the Center merger impacts the comparability of operating results for fourth quarter 2012 versus fourth quarter 2011 and the preceding third quarter 2012, as well as the operating results for the full 2012 year versus 2011. Supplemental information, which the Company believes will aid in understanding past financial performance, is included in this press release.

[....]

http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=56029879

*Large & solid growth bank.