Community West Bancshares Reports Earnings Results for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2026, and Quarterly Dividend

FRESNO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Board of Directors of Community West Bancshares (“Company”) (NASDAQ: CWBC), the parent company of Community West Bank (“Bank”), reported today unaudited consolidated net income of $8,066,000, and diluted earnings per share of $0.30 for the three months ended September 30, 2026, compared to net income of $10,873,000 and $0.57 per diluted common share for the three months ended September 30, 2025. The Company declared a $0.12 per common share cash dividend, payable on November 20, 2026 to shareholders of record as of November 6, 2026.

“The strength of our Company begins with the relationships our team builds every day,” said James J. Kim, CEO and President of the Company and Bank. “During the third quarter, that work translated into strong core deposit growth and a stronger liquidity position. Our bankers welcomed new clients throughout our Central California territory and deepened existing client relationships while continuing the work of a newly combined organization.”

“As we complete our second full quarter following the United Security Bancshares merger, I am encouraged by the commitment of our team and the confidence our clients place in us. Their consistent support provides a strong foundation as we focus on serving our communities and delivering long-term value for our shareholders.”

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

• On April 1, 2026, the Company completed its previously announced merger (“Merger”) with United Security Bancshares (“USB”) pursuant to which USB merged with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity. Following the Merger, United Security Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of USB, merged with and into Community West Bank (the “Bank”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, with the Bank continuing as the surviving entity.
• Net income during the third quarter increased to $8.07 million, or $0.30 per diluted common share, compared to net income of $2.70 million and $0.10 per diluted common share, respectively, in the second quarter of 2026.
• The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $578,000 during the quarter ended September 30, 2026, as compared to $5,635,000 during the trailing quarter. The current quarter provision is attributed to a provision for loan losses totaling $588,000 and a provision to the reserve for unfunded commitments of $89,000, partially offset by a credit to the reserve for held-to-maturity securities of $99,000.
• Gross loans increased by $19.1 million or 0.54% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2026 and increased $1.0 billion or 40.22% year-to-date. The fair value of loans acquired from USB was $877.8 million as of April 1, 2026.
• Total deposits increased by $101.0 million or 2.45% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2026 and $1.1 billion or 36.35% year-to-date. Total deposits acquired as a result of the Merger were $1.1 billion as of April 1, 2026. Brokered deposits decreased by $107.5 million or 24.53% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2026 and decreased $112.8 million or 25.45% year-to-date. The decrease in brokered deposits was a result of the Company’s strengthened liquidity position from strong core deposit growth, which reduced the need for brokered deposit funding during the period. Excluding the quarter-to-date decrease of $107.5 million in brokered deposits, total deposits increased by $208.5 million or 5.66% relative to the quarter ended June 30, 2026.
• Total cost of deposits decreased to 1.27% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to 1.31% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, and decreased from 1.39% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025.
• Average non-interest bearing demand deposits as a percentage of total average deposits totaled 34.82% and 34.14% for the quarters ended September 30, 2026 and June 30, 2026, respectively.
• Net interest margin (calculated on a fully tax equivalent basis) increased to 4.65% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, from 4.56% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.
• Return on average assets was 0.65% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 as compared to 0.22% and 1.21% for the quarters ended June 30, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively. Return on average assets, excluding the non-core items of merger expenses, expense incurred as a result of a one-time legal settlement, and net loss on sales/calls of securities, was 1.41% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 as compared to 1.00% and 1.21% for the quarters ended June 30, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively. See non-GAAP disclosures for more information.
• Return on average equity was 5.27% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 as compared to 1.77% and 11.25% for the quarters ended June 30, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively. Return on average equity, excluding the non-core items of merger expenses, expense incurred as a result of a one-time legal settlement, and net loss on sales/calls of securities, was 11.61% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 as compared to 8.10% and 11.27% for the quarters ended June 30, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively. See non-GAAP disclosures for more information.
• Capital positions remained strong at September 30, 2026 with a 9.69% Tier 1 Leverage Ratio; a 11.14% Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio; a 11.26% Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital Ratio; and a 13.28% Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio.

“The third quarter financial results reflect organic growth in loans and deposits, a lower cost of deposits, and our tenth consecutive quarter of net interest margin expansion,” said Shannon Livingston, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “Strong core deposit growth has strengthened the Company’s funding profile, a direct result of our team’s work to retain and build client relationships.”

“While net income increased as compared with the prior quarter, we look forward to moving beyond merger-related expenses and entering a more normalized fourth quarter. We remain focused on disciplined balance sheet management and translating the earnings capacity of the Company into long-term performance.”

Results of Operations

Statement Regarding use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, Community West Bancshares’ financial results are presented in accordance with GAAP and refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. Management believes that presentation of operating results using non-GAAP financial measures provides useful supplemental information to investors and facilitates the analysis of the Company’s core operating results and comparison of operating results across reporting periods. Management also uses non-GAAP financial measures to establish budgets and manage the Company’s business. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial measures to comparable non-GAAP financial measures is presented below.

Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures

For the quarter ended September 30, 2026, the Company reported unaudited consolidated net income of $8,066,000 and diluted earnings per common share of $0.30, compared to consolidated net income of $2,695,000 and $0.10 per fully diluted share for the trailing quarter, and consolidated net income of $10,873,000 and $0.57 per diluted share for the same period in 2025. The Company's earnings during the quarter were impacted from merger expenses and an expense incurred as a result of a one-time legal settlement as compared to the prior quarter, partially offset by a lower loan loss provision as compared to the quarter.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the Company reported unaudited consolidated net income of $22,250,000 and diluted earnings per common share of $0.91, compared to consolidated net income of $26,998,000 and $1.42 per diluted share for the same period in 2025. The net income for the period decreased as compared to the prior year due to an increase in net realized losses on sales and calls of investment securities of $5,877,000, expense incurred as a result of a one-time legal settlement of $6,615,000, an increase in the provision for credit losses of $3,064,000, and an increase in merger expenses of $14,924,000.

Annualized return on average assets (ROAA) was 0.65% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to 1.21% for the same period in 2025. Annualized return on average equity (ROAE) for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 was 5.27%, compared to 11.25% for the same period of 2025. Annualized return on average assets (ROAA) excluding non-core items (Non-GAAP) was 1.41% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to 1.21% for the same period in 2025. Annualized return on average equity (ROAE) excluding non-core items (Non-GAAP) for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 was 11.61%, compared to 11.27% for the same period of 2025.

The effective yield on average investment securities, including interest earning deposits in other banks and Federal funds sold, was 3.25% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared to 2.96% for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 and 3.05% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The effective yield on average investment securities, including interest earning deposits in other banks and Federal funds sold, was 3.05% for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared to 2.98% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.

Total average loans, including non-accrual loans, increased by $1,158,515,000 to $3,575,670,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, from $2,417,155,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 and increased by $73,558,000 from $3,502,112,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The year over year increase was due to the completed Merger as of April 1, 2026 combined with organic loan growth throughout the Company’s footprint. The effective yield on average loans was 6.73% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared to 6.65% and 6.76% for the quarters ended September 30, 2025 and June 30, 2026, respectively. Total average loans increased by $822,314,000 to $3,190,138,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, from $2,367,824,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2025. The effective yield on average loans was 6.73% for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared to 6.68% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.

The Company’s net interest margin (fully tax equivalent basis) was 4.65% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared to 4.20% for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 and 4.56% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. Net interest income, before provision for credit losses, increased by $18,400,000 or 52.66%, to $53,344,000 for the third quarter of 2026, compared to $34,944,000 for the same period in 2025. In addition to the increase in average loans due to the Merger with USB and organic loan growth, the Company's yield on interest earning assets has increased from 5.62% for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 to 5.94% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026. Additionally, the Company benefited from a decrease in the cost on interest-bearing liabilities, in which the cost of total deposits decreased to 1.27% from 1.39% when comparing the quarters ended September 30, 2026 and 2025. The decrease in the cost of deposits is primarily attributed to the addition of the USB deposit portfolio which carried an overall lower interest cost. This decrease was further driven by strong organic deposit growth that allowed the maturation and payoff of brokered deposits during the quarter. Net interest margin during the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025 and June 30, 2026 benefited by approximately 38 basis points ($4,391,000), 28 basis points ($2,328,000), and 44 basis points ($4,960,000), respectively, from the net accretion of fair value marks.

The Company’s net interest margin (fully tax equivalent basis) was 4.53% for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared to 4.12% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025. Net interest income, before provision for credit losses, increased $39,829,000 or 39.66%, to $140,260,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared to $100,431,000 for the same period in 2025. The accretion on loan marks of acquired loans increased interest income by $11,914,000 and $8,866,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Net interest margin during the nine months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025 benefited by approximately 37 basis points ($11,604,000) and 26 basis points ($6,443,000), respectively, from the net accretion of the fair value marks.

Non-Interest Income - The following tables present the key components of non-interest income for the periods indicated:

The increase in non-interest income quarter-to-date was primarily due to an increase in gain on sale of loans and minimal realized losses in the investment portfolio. The decrease in non-interest income year-to-date as compared to the prior year-to-date period was due to the net realized losses on sales within the investment portfolio. The investment sales proceeds were reinvested into higher yielding investment securities during the end of the second quarter 2026 and are accretive to income beginning in the third quarter. Partially offsetting these losses for the year-to-date period were increases in service charges, interchange fees, gain on sale of loans, bank-owned life insurance, and FHLB dividends, all of which benefited from the expanded client and asset base resulting from the Merger with USB completed on April 1, 2026.

Non-Interest Expense - The following table presents the key components of non-interest expense for the periods indicated:

The increase in non-interest expenses quarter-to-date was primarily due to an expense incurred as a result of a one-time legal settlement, salaries and employee benefits, and other expenses. Partially offsetting these quarter-to-date increases were decreases in merger expenses, data processing expense, ATM/Debit card expenses and directors’ expenses. The increase in non-interest expenses year-to-date as compared to the prior year-to-date period was driven by merger expenses, the expense incurred as a result of a one-time legal settlement, salaries and employee benefits, information technology, and amortization of core deposit intangibles. The legal settlement resolved ongoing litigation related to a former depositor and resulted in a one-time expense of $6,615,000. Many of these increases are directly attributable to the Company's merger, which closed on April 1, 2026, and the resulting integration of operations.

Balance Sheet Summary

The acquisition of USB has been accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805. Assets acquired, liabilities assumed, intangibles recognized and consideration exchanged was recorded at their respective acquisition date fair values. Determining the fair value of assets and liabilities involves significant judgment regarding methods and assumptions used to calculate estimated fair values. We recorded the fair values based on the valuations available as of reporting date. In accordance with business combination accounting guidance, we will continue to evaluate these fair values for up to one year following the Merger date of April 1, 2026. While management believes the information available and presented below provide a reasonable basis for estimating fair value, we may obtain additional information and evidence during the measurement period that could result in changes to the estimated fair value amounts. Valuation subject to change include, but not limited to, loans and leases, deposits, deferred tax items, and certain other assets and liabilities.

The following table summarizes the consideration paid for USB and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed that were recorded at the acquisition date (in thousands):

Total assets for the period ended September 30, 2026 increased $1,322,771,000 or 35.84%, compared to the period ended December 31, 2025. Total average assets for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 were $5,051,226,000 compared to $3,595,359,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 and $4,927,433,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, an increase of $1,455,867,000 or 40.49% and an increase of $123,793,000 or 2.51%, respectively.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2026, the Company’s average gross investment securities increased by $67,674,000, or 8.26%, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2025, and decreased by $18,966,000, or 2.09%, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2026. This increase compared to the prior year was the result of the acquired securities from the Merger with USB during the second quarter. The quarter-over-quarter decrease was due to calls and maturities of available-for-sale securities and held-to-maturity securities outpacing purchases.

In comparing the quarter ended September 30, 2026 to the quarters ended September 30, 2025 and June 30, 2026, total average gross loans increased $1,158,515,000 or 47.93%, and increased by $73,558,000 or 2.10%, respectively. The fair value of loans acquired from USB was $877.8 million as of April 1, 2026. Included in the fair value of loans was an interest rate discount of $37.0 million.

The following table shows the Company’s outstanding loan portfolio composition as of September 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025:

The composition of deposits at September 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025 is summarized in the table below:

Total average deposits increased $1,194,832,000 or 38.92%, to $4,265,131,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared to $3,070,299,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, and increased $80,696,000, or 1.93%, compared to $4,184,435,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The increase in average deposits was due to the completion of the Merger with USB and organic growth throughout the Company’s footprint. The Company’s ratio of average non-interest bearing deposits to total deposits was 34.82% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared to 35.79% and 34.14% for the quarters ended September 30, 2025 and June 30, 2026, respectively.

The Company has significant liquidity, both on and off-balance sheet, to meet customer demand. During the year-to-date period, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents increased $59,277,000 to $178,261,000 compared to $118,984,000 at December 31, 2025. The Company had $41,000,000 in short-term borrowings at September 30, 2026 compared to $73,000,000 at December 31, 2025.

At September 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company had the following sources of primary and secondary liquidity:

Credit Quality

During the third quarter of 2026, the Company recorded net loan charge-offs of $1,377,000 compared to net recoveries of $75,000 for the same period in 2025. The primary reason for loan charge-offs during the quarter was for charge-offs within an acquired student loan portfolio from the Merger, in which the Company recorded a Day 1 allowance of $9.5 million in anticipation of future charge-offs in this portfolio segment. The net charge-off ratio reflects annualized net charge-offs to average loans of 0.15% for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared to annualized net recoveries of 0.01% for the quarter ended September 30, 2025.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2026, non-accrual loans increased $18,516,000 to $38,273,000 compared to $19,757,000 at June 30, 2026 and increased $31,318,000 year-to-date to $38,273,000 compared to $6,955,000 at December 31, 2025. The increase in non-accrual loans was due to two relationships that reached 90 days past due during the quarter. These loans are evaluated as collateral dependent loans as of September 30, 2026 and the Company believes the loans are adequately reserved for on an individual basis.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2026, the Company recorded a $588,000 provision for loan losses, compared to $793,000 for the same period in 2025. In addition to the provision for credit losses on loans for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, the Company recorded a credit to the provision for credit losses on held-to-maturity securities of $99,000 as compared to $62,000 in the prior year quarter. The Company recorded a provision for unfunded loan commitments totaling $89,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to a credit to the provision of unfunded loan commitments of $64,000 in the prior year quarter.

The following table shows the Company’s loan portfolio, net of deferred costs, allocated by management’s internal risk ratings:

At September 30, 2026, the allowance for credit losses for loans was $48,633,000, compared to $30,071,000 at December 31, 2025, a net increase of $18,562,000 reflecting a provision for loan losses of $5,969,000 and net charge-offs during the period. The primary driver of this increase was the acquisition of USB, which contributed $19.4 million in Day 1 allowance balances across all portfolio segments. As a result of the Company's early adoption of ASU 2025-08, a Day 1 allowance for credit losses was established for acquired loans at the Merger date. The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 1.36% as of September 30, 2026 compared to 1.18% at December 31, 2025. The Company believes the allowance for credit losses is adequate to provide for expected credit losses within the loan portfolio at September 30, 2026.

Cash Dividend Declared

On October 21, 2026, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share on the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on November 20, 2026 to shareholders of record as of November 6, 2026. The Company continues to be well capitalized and expects to maintain adequate capital levels.

About Community West Bank and Bancshares

Effective on April 1, 2026, Community West Bancshares completed its merger with United Security Bancshares, with Community West Bancshares continuing as the surviving entity. Shortly thereafter United Security Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Security Bancshares, merged with and into Community West Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Community West Bancshares, with Community West Bank continuing as the surviving banking institution. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, each share of United Security Bancshares common stock was converted into the right to receive 0.4520 shares of Community West Bancshares common stock, with cash to be paid in lieu of any fractional shares.

Community West Bancshares (NASDAQ: CWBC) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Community West Bank, are headquartered in Fresno, California. The Company was established in 1979 with the vision to help businesses and communities by exceeding expectations at every opportunity, and opened its first Banking Center on January 10, 1980. Today, Community West Bank operates full-service Banking Centers throughout Central California and maintains a variety of departments supporting Commercial Lending, Agribusiness, SBA, Residential Construction and Mortgage, Manufactured Housing, Private Banking, and Treasury Management Services.

Members of the Company and Bank Board of Directors are: Daniel J. Doyle (Chairman), Jagroop “Jay” Gill (Vice Chairman), James J. Kim (CEO and President), Andriana D. Majarian (Lead Independent Director), Robert H. Bartlein, F.T. “Tommy” Elliott IV, Robert J. Flautt, James W. Lokey, Steven D. McDonald, Martin E. Plourd, Dorothea D. Silva, Kirk B. Stovesand, and Dora Westerlund. Louis C. McMurray and Daniel N. Cunningham are Directors Emeriti.

More information about Community West Bancshares and Community West Bank can be found at www.communitywestbank.com.

Forward-looking Statements - Certain matters set forth herein constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including forward-looking statements relating to the Company’s current business plans and expectations regarding future operating results. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, the use of forward-looking language, such as “likely result in,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “projects,” “intends to,” or may include other similar words or phrases, such as “believes,” “plans,” “trend,” “objective,” “continues,” “remains,” or similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs, such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “can,” or similar verbs. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control, include, but are not limited to: risks relating to our recently completed acquisition of United Security Bancshares; current and future business, economic and market conditions in the United States generally or in the communities we serve, including the effects of declines in property values and overall slowdowns in economic growth should these events occur; inflationary pressures and changes in the interest rate environment that reduce our margins and yields, the fair value of financial instruments or our level of loan originations, or increase the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans we have made and make, whether held in the portfolio or in the secondary market; effects of and changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve Board; geopolitical and domestic political developments including the imposition of tariffs and the ongoing war in Iran, that can increase levels of political and economic unpredictability, contribute to rising energy and commodity prices, and increase the volatility of financial markets; changes in the level of nonperforming assets and charge offs and other credit quality measures, and their impact on the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses and our provision for credit losses; factors that can impact the performance of our loan portfolio, including real estate values and liquidity in our primary market areas, the financial health of our commercial borrowers, and the success of construction projects that we finance; our ability to achieve loan growth and attract deposits in our market area, the impact of the cost of deposits and our ability to retain deposits; liquidity issues, including fluctuations in the fair value and liquidity of the securities we hold for sale and our ability to raise additional capital, if necessary; continued or increasing competition from other financial institutions, credit unions, and non-bank financial services companies; challenges arising from attempts to expand into new geographic markets, products, or services; restraints on the ability of Community West Bank to pay dividends to us, which could limit our liquidity; inaccuracies in our assumptions about future events, which could result in material differences between our financial projections and actual financial performance; changes in our management personnel or our inability to retain, motivate and hire qualified management personnel; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events affecting the third-party vendors who perform critical processing functions; an inability to keep pace with the rate of technological advances due to a lack of resources to invest in new technologies; natural disasters, such as earthquakes, wildfires, drought, pandemic diseases (such as the coronavirus) or extreme weather events, any of which may affect services we use or affect our customers, employees or third parties with which we conduct business; compliance with governmental and regulatory requirements, relating to banking, consumer protection, securities and tax matters; and our ability to the manage the foregoing.

The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with the other cautionary statements included in this report. Because of these risks and other uncertainties, our actual future results, performance or achievement, or industry results, may be materially different from the results indicated by the forward-looking statements in this report. In addition, our past results of operations are not necessarily indicative of our future results. You should not rely on any forward-looking statements, which represent our beliefs, assumptions and estimates only as of the dates on which they were made, as predictions of future events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.