EAST WEST BANCORP INC (EWBC)
Sector: Financials
2026 Annual Meeting Analysis
EAST WEST BANCORP INC · Meeting: May 18, 2026
Directors FOR
11
Directors AGAINST
0
Say on Pay
FOR
Auditor
FOR
Director Elections
Election of Directors
Joined in 2022, has relevant banking regulatory experience, and EWBC's 3-year total shareholder return outperforms both the compensation peer group median and the QABA community bank benchmark by wide margins, so no TSR-based concern applies.
Joined the board in December 2025, which is within the 24-month new-director exemption window, so the TSR trigger does not apply; his extensive international banking experience is well-suited to EWBC's Asia-focused business model.
Long-tenured independent director with financial management expertise; EWBC's strong outperformance versus the peer group median (+31.9pp over 3 years) and the QABA benchmark (+70.7pp over 3 years) means no TSR underperformance trigger applies.
Independent director since 2019 with technology and risk management expertise relevant to EWBC's operations; no TSR trigger fires given EWBC's strong absolute and relative stock performance.
Independent director since 2022 with deep Asia-Pacific and international business experience relevant to EWBC's bridge-banking model; no TSR underperformance concern given the company's strong returns.
Independent director since 2023 with nearly 40 years of financial services and audit expertise as a former KPMG partner; new enough that the TSR trigger would not apply in any event, and EWBC's performance record is strong.
Long-tenured independent director since 2010 with governance and legal expertise; EWBC's 3-year total shareholder return of approximately 129% far exceeds both the compensation peer group median (+31.9pp gap) and the QABA benchmark (+70.7pp gap), so no underperformance trigger applies.
Independent director since 2022 with banking founding experience and financial expertise; no TSR concern given EWBC's strong outperformance, and no overboarding, attendance, or independence issues are evident.
Long-tenured independent director since 1998 with deep legal, international banking, and governance expertise; EWBC's strong absolute and relative TSR performance means the underperformance trigger does not apply despite his extended tenure.
CEO and Chairman since 1991 who has transformed EWBC from a $600 million savings and loan into an $80 billion commercial bank; EWBC's 3-year TSR of approximately 129% outperforms the compensation peer group median by +31.9pp and the QABA community bank benchmark by +70.7pp, so the TSR trigger does not apply to him as an executive director.
Lead Independent Director since 2015 with over 40 years of financial services and accounting expertise as a former Deloitte partner and CPA; EWBC's strong outperformance versus peers and the QABA benchmark means no TSR-based concern applies.
All 11 director nominees receive a FOR vote. EWBC's 3-year total shareholder return of approximately 129% outperforms the compensation peer group median by +31.9 percentage points and the QABA — First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Index by +70.7 percentage points, well below the 65-percentage-point trigger threshold for strong-positive-TSR companies, so no TSR-based concerns fire. No overboarding, independence, attendance, or qualification issues were identified for any nominee.
Say on Pay
✓ FORCEO
Dominic Ng
Total Comp
$9,683,884
Prior Support
95.56%%
CEO Dominic Ng received total compensation of approximately $9.7 million in 2025, which is reasonable for the Chairman and CEO of an $80 billion asset regional bank that achieved record earnings, a 16% return on equity, and a 3-year total shareholder return of approximately 129% — far above both the compensation peer group median and the QABA community bank benchmark. The pay program is well-structured: 84% of the CEO's target pay is at risk and performance-based, with long-term incentive awards tied to ROA, ROE, and TSR versus a broad bank index over three one-year performance periods before cliff vesting, ensuring meaningful alignment between pay and shareholder outcomes. The prior-year Say on Pay vote received approximately 96% support, the company maintains a clawback policy, and no significant governance concerns were identified.
Auditor Ratification
✓ FORAuditor
KPMG LLP
Tenure
N/A
Audit Fees
N/A
Non-Audit Fees
N/A
KPMG LLP is a Big 4 firm appropriate for EWBC's $15.8 billion market cap and $80.4 billion asset size. Auditor tenure was not explicitly disclosed in the proxy text provided, so the tenure trigger cannot be applied and per policy the vote defaults to FOR with tenure non-disclosure noted as a minor negative. No fee data was extractable from the provided filing text, and no material restatements were identified.
Overall Assessment
The 2026 EWBC annual meeting ballot is straightforward and shareholder-friendly across all analyzed proposals. The company's exceptional financial and stock performance — record earnings, a 16% return on equity, and a 3-year total shareholder return of approximately 129% that outperforms the QABA community bank benchmark by over 70 percentage points — supports FOR votes on the full director slate, the well-structured performance-linked executive pay program, and the Big 4 auditor ratification.
Compensation Peer Group
22 companies disclosed in 2026 proxy filing