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Derivatives
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivatives DerivativesThe Company uses derivatives to manage exposure to market risk, primarily interest rate or foreign currency risk, as well as to assist customers with their risk management objectives. The Company’s goal is to manage interest rate sensitivity and volatility to mitigate the effect of interest rates changes on earnings or capital. The Company also uses foreign exchange contracts to manage the foreign exchange rate risk associated with certain foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities, as well as the Bank’s investment in East West Bank (China) Limited. The Company recognizes all derivatives on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair value. While the Company designates certain derivatives as hedging instruments in a qualifying hedge accounting relationship, other derivatives serve as economic hedges. For additional information on the Company’s derivatives and hedging activities, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Significant Accounting Policies — Derivatives to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company’s 2021 Form 10-K.
The following table presents the notional amounts and gross fair values of the Company’s derivatives, as well as the balance sheet netting adjustments on an aggregate basis as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. The derivative asset and liability fair values are presented on a gross basis prior to the application of bilateral collateral and master netting agreements, but after the application of variation margin payments as settlements with central clearing organizations. Total derivative asset and liability fair values are adjusted to take into consideration the effects of legally enforceable master netting agreements and cash collateral received or paid as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. The resulting net derivative asset and liability fair values are included in Other assets and Accrued expenses and other liabilities, respectively, on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
($ in thousands)September 30, 2022December 31, 2021
Notional
Amount
Fair ValueNotional
Amount
Fair Value
Derivative
Assets 
Derivative
 Liabilities 
Derivative
Assets 
Derivative
 Liabilities 
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate contracts
$2,525,000 $533 $24,679 $275,000 $— $57 
Net investment hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
84,832 7,107 — 86,531 — 225 
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments
$2,609,832 $7,640 $24,679 $361,531 $ $282 
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate contracts
$17,261,862 $429,505 $590,648 $17,575,420 $240,222 $179,905 
Foreign exchange contracts2,762,150 74,767 64,049 1,874,681 21,033 15,276 
Credit contracts141,549 — 27 72,560 — 141 
Equity contracts
— (1)346 — — (1)220 — 
Commodity contracts— (2)369,146 350,198 — (2)222,709 194,567 
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments$20,165,561 $873,764 $1,004,922 $19,522,661 $484,184 $389,889 
Gross derivative assets/liabilities$881,404 $1,029,601 $484,184 $390,171 
Less: Master netting agreements(238,606)(238,606)(58,679)(58,679)
Less: Cash collateral received/paid(367,351)(600)(42,274)(174,048)
Net derivative assets/liabilities$275,447 $790,395 $383,231 $157,444 
(1)The Company held equity contracts in one public company and 13 private companies as of September 30, 2022. In comparison, the Company held equity contracts in one public company and 12 private companies as of December 31, 2021.
(2)The notional amount of the Company’s commodity contracts entered with its customers totaled 8,199 thousand barrels of crude oil and 113,574 thousand units of natural gas, measured in million British thermal units (“MMBTUs”) as of September 30, 2022. In comparison, the notional amount of the Company’s commodity contracts entered with its customers totaled 7,519 thousand barrels of crude oil and 83,274 thousand MMBTUs of natural gas as of December 31, 2021. The Company simultaneously entered into the offsetting commodity contracts with mirrored terms with third-party financial institutions.

Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments

Cash Flow Hedges The Company hedges the variability of forecasted cash flows due to changes in contractually specified interest rates associated with floating-rate assets/liabilities and other forecasted transactions. As of September 30, 2022, $2.25 billion and $275.0 million in notional amounts of interest rate contracts were designated as cash flow hedges to modify the interest rate characteristics of certain commercial loans and borrowings, respectively, from variable to fixed. This will reduce the impact of changes in future cash flows due to changes in market interest rates. Changes in the fair values of cash flow hedges are recognized in AOCI and reclassified to earnings in the same period when the hedged cash flows impact earnings. Considering the interest rates, yield curve and notional amounts as of September 30, 2022, the Company expects to reclassify an estimated $26.5 million of after-tax net losses related to cash flow hedges from AOCI into earnings during the next 12 months.
The following table presents the pre-tax changes in AOCI from cash flow hedges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. The after-tax impact of cash flow hedges on AOCI is discussed in Note 13 — Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form-10-Q.
($ in thousands)Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2022202120222021
 (Losses) gains recognized in AOCI:
Interest rate contracts$(48,325)$(170)$(88,771)$150 
 (Losses) gains reclassified from AOCI into earnings:
Interest expense (for cash flow hedges on borrowings)$1,251 $(241)$1,385 $(619)
Interest and dividend income (for cash flow hedges on loans)(2,870)— 216 — 
Total$(1,619)$(241)$1,601 $(619)

Net Investment Hedges ASC 830-20, Foreign Currency Matters — Foreign Currency Transactions and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, allows hedging of the foreign currency risk of a net investment in a foreign operation. The Company enters into foreign currency forward contracts to hedge a portion of the Bank’s investment in East West Bank (China) Limited, a non-USD functional currency subsidiary in China. The hedging instruments designated as net investment hedges involve hedging the risk of changes in the USD equivalent value of a designated monetary amount of the Bank’s net investment in East West Bank (China) Limited, against the risk of adverse changes in the foreign currency exchange rate of the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”). The Company may de-designate the net investment hedges when the Company expects the hedge will cease to be highly effective.

The following table presents the after-tax gains (losses) recognized in AOCI on net investment hedges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021:
($ in thousands)Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2022202120222021
Gains (losses) recognized in AOCI$3,093 $(318)$4,293 $(1,860)

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

Interest Rate Contracts The Company enters into interest rate contracts, which include interest rate swaps and options with its customers to allow the customers to hedge against the risk of rising interest rates on their variable-rate loans. To economically hedge against the interest rate risks in the products offered to its customers, the Company enters into mirrored offsetting interest rate contracts with third-party financial institutions, including central clearing organizations.

The following tables present the notional amounts and the gross fair values of interest rate derivative contracts outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
($ in thousands)September 30, 2022
Customer Counterparty($ in thousands)Financial Counterparty
Notional
Amount
Fair ValueNotional
Amount
Fair Value
AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Purchased options$— $— $— Purchased options$1,581,174 $33,745 $— 
Written options
1,548,884 — 32,253 Written options32,290 — 1,346 
Sold collars and corridors
221,287 — 8,661 
Collars and corridors
221,287 8,706 — 
Swaps6,814,564 159 547,728 Swaps6,842,376 386,895 660 
Total
$8,584,735 $159 $588,642 
Total
$8,677,127 $429,346 $2,006 
($ in thousands)December 31, 2021
Customer Counterparty($ in thousands)Financial Counterparty
Notional
Amount
Fair ValueNotional
Amount
Fair Value
AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Written options
$1,118,074 $— $2,148 
Purchased options
$1,118,074 $2,159 $— 
Sold collars and corridors
194,181 1,272 642 
Collars and corridors
194,181 646 1,275 
Swaps7,460,836 211,727 39,650 Swaps7,490,074 24,418 136,190 
Total
$8,773,091 $212,999 $42,440 
Total
$8,802,329 $27,223 $137,465 

Included in the total notional amount of $8.68 billion of interest rate contracts entered into with financial counterparties as of September 30, 2022, was a notional amount of $2.10 billion of interest rate swaps that cleared through London Clearing House (“LCH”). Applying variation margin payments as settlement to LCH-cleared derivative transactions resulted in a reduction in the derivative asset of $178.4 million and a reduction in the derivative liability of a nominal amount as of September 30, 2022. In comparison, included in the total notional amount of $8.80 billion of interest rate contracts entered into with financial counterparties as of December 31, 2021, was a notional amount of $2.79 billion of interest rate swaps that cleared through LCH. Applying variation margin payments as settlement to LCH cleared derivative transactions resulted in a reduction in the derivative asset of $18.1 million and a reduction in the derivative liability of $79.9 million as of December 31, 2021.

Foreign Exchange Contracts — The Company enters into foreign exchange contracts with its customers, consisting of forward, spot, swap and option contracts to accommodate the business needs of its customers. The Company enters into offsetting foreign exchange contracts with third-party financial institutions to manage its foreign exchange exposure with its customers, or enters into bilateral collateral and master netting agreements with certain customer counterparties to manage its credit exposure. The Company also utilizes foreign exchange contracts, which are not designated as hedging instruments, to mitigate the economic effect of currency fluctuations on certain foreign currency-denominated on-balance sheet assets and liabilities, primarily foreign currency-denominated deposits offered to its customers. A majority of the foreign exchange contracts had original maturities of one year or less as of both September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

The following tables present the notional amounts and the gross fair values of foreign exchange derivative contracts outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
($ in thousands)September 30, 2022
Customer Counterparty($ in thousands)Financial Counterparty
Notional
Amount
Fair ValueNotional
Amount
Fair Value
AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Forwards and spots$1,048,541 $24,645 $39,173 Forwards and spots$220,663 $4,260 $2,408 
Swaps127,381 897 2,606 Swaps1,257,039 42,100 16,997 
Purchased options49,000 2,533 — Written options49,000 — 2,533 
Collars5,263 — 332 Collars5,263 332 — 
Total$1,230,185 $28,075 $42,111 Total$1,531,965 $46,692 $21,938 
($ in thousands)December 31, 2021
Customer Counterparty($ in thousands)Financial Counterparty
Notional
Amount
Fair ValueNotional
Amount
Fair Value
AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Forwards and spots$900,290 $13,688 $9,446 Forwards and spots$267,689 $1,564 $2,695 
Swaps66,474 1,034 17 Swaps599,654 4,745 3,116 
Purchase options20,287 — Written options20,287 — 
Total$987,051 $14,724 $9,463 Total$887,630 $6,309 $5,813 
Credit Contracts — The Company periodically enters into credit RPAs with institutional counterparties to manage the credit exposure of the interest rate contracts associated with syndication loans. The Company may enter into protection sold or protection purchased RPAs. A purchaser of credit protection that enters into an interest rate contract with the borrower, may in turn enter into an RPA with a seller of protection, under which the seller of protection receives a fee to accept a portion of the credit risk. The seller of credit protection is required to make payments to the purchaser if the underlying borrower defaults on the related interest rate contract. Credit risk on RPAs is managed by monitoring the credit worthiness of the borrowers and the institutional counterparties, which is part of the normal credit review and monitoring process. The majority of the referenced entities of the protection sold RPAs were investment grade as of both September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. Assuming the underlying borrowers referenced in the interest rate contracts defaulted in the protection sold RPAs, there would be no maximum exposure as of September 30, 2022 and $3.2 million of maximum exposure as of December 31, 2021. The weighted-average remaining maturities of the outstanding protection sold RPAs were 2.7 years and 3.2 years as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

The notional amount of the RPAs reflects the Company’s pro-rata share of the derivative instrument. The following table presents the notional amounts and the gross fair values of RPAs sold outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
($ in thousands)September 30, 2022December 31, 2021
Notional
Amount
Fair ValueNotional
Amount
Fair Value
AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
RPAs protection sold
$141,549 $— $27 $72,560 $— $141 

Equity Contracts — From time to time, as part of the Company’s loan origination process, the Company obtains warrants to purchase preferred and/or common stock of technology and life science companies to which it provides loans. Warrants grant the Company the right to buy a certain class of the underlying company’s equity at a certain price before expiration. The Company held warrants in one public company and 13 private companies as of September 30, 2022, and held warrants in one public company and 12 private companies as of December 31, 2021. The total fair value of the warrants held was $346 thousand and $220 thousand as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

Commodity Contracts — The Company enters into energy commodity contracts in the form of swaps and options with its commercial loan customers, to allow them to hedge against the risk of energy commodity price fluctuation. To economically hedge against the risk and exposure of commodity price fluctuation in the products offered to its commercial loan customers, the Company enters into offsetting commodity contracts with third-party financial institutions, including central clearing organizations.

The following tables present the notional amounts and fair values of the commodity derivative positions outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
($ and units in thousands)
September 30, 2022
Customer Counterparty
($ and units in thousands)
Financial Counterparty
Notional
Unit
Fair ValueNotional
Unit
Fair Value
AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Crude oil:Crude oil:
Written options841 Barrels$1,593 $— 
Purchased options
841 Barrels$— $1,451 
Collars
2,898 Barrels22,072 7,148 
Collars
2,903 Barrels2,179 20,503 
Swaps
4,460 Barrels54,906 22,314 
Swaps
3,425 Barrels15,052 41,978 
Total
8,199 $78,571 $29,462 
Total
7,169 $17,231 $63,932 
Natural gas:
Natural gas:
Collars
26,363 MMBTUs$28,318 $3,684 
Collars
26,839 MMBTUs$2,320 $24,916 
Swaps
87,211 MMBTUs216,050 73,012 
Swaps
70,817 MMBTUs26,656 155,192 
Total
113,574 $244,368 $76,696 
Total
97,656 $28,976 $180,108 
Total$322,939 $106,158 Total$46,207 $244,040 
($ and units in thousands)
December 31, 2021
Customer Counterparty
($ and units in thousands)
Financial Counterparty
Notional
Unit
Fair ValueNotional
Unit
Fair Value
AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Crude oil:Crude oil:
Written options— Barrels$87 $— 
Purchased options
— Barrels$— $81 
Collars
2,837 Barrels33,826 106 
Collars
2,888 Barrels— 33,399 
Swaps
4,682 Barrels71,242 60 
Swaps
7,517 Barrels27,524 82,723 
Total
7,519 $105,155 $166 
Total
10,405 $27,524 $116,203 
Natural gas:
Natural gas:
Collars
24,315 MMBTUs$10,903 $458 
Collars
25,929 MMBTUs$1,136 $10,936 
Swaps
58,959 MMBTUs49,188 3,775 
Swaps
109,567 MMBTUs28,803 63,029 
Total
83,274 $60,091 $4,233 
Total
135,496 $29,939 $73,965 
Total$165,246 $4,399 Total$57,463 $190,168 

As of September 30, 2022, the notional amounts that cleared through the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) totaled 773 thousand barrels of crude oil and 5,530 thousand MMBTUs of natural gas. Applying the variation margin payments as settlement to the CME-cleared derivative transactions resulted in a reduction to the gross derivative asset fair value of $6.7 million and a reduction to the liability fair value of $21.4 million as of September 30, 2022. In comparison, the notional amounts that cleared through CME totaled 1,036 thousand barrels of crude oil and 11,490 thousand MMBTUs of natural gas as of December 31, 2021. Applying the variation margin payments as settlement to the CME-cleared derivative transactions resulted in a reduction to the gross derivative asset fair value of $2.2 million and a reduction to the liability fair value of $25.8 million as of December 31, 2021.

The following table presents the net gains (losses) recognized on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income related to derivatives not designated as hedging instruments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021:
($ in thousands)Classification on
Consolidated
Statement of Income
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2022202120222021
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate contracts
Interest rate contracts and other derivative income$4,870 $2,467 $18,439 $11,030 
Foreign exchange contracts
Foreign exchange income
3,831 11,820 6,596 34,035 
Credit contractsInterest rate contracts and other derivative income (loss)50 (20)114 175 
Equity contractsLending fees(13)175 388 
Commodity contractsInterest rate contracts and other derivative income (loss)(156)32 139 13 
Net gains$8,582 $14,302 $25,463 $45,641 

Credit Risk-Related Contingent Features The Company’s over-the-counter derivative contracts may contain early termination provisions that require the Company to settle any outstanding balances upon the occurrence of a specified credit risk-related event. Such event primarily relates to a downgrade in the credit rating of East West Bank to below investment grade. As of September 30, 2022, the aggregate fair value amounts of all derivative instruments with credit risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position totaled $9.8 million, in which $8.4 million of collateral was posted to cover these positions. In comparison, as of December 31, 2021, the aggregate fair value amounts of all derivative instruments with credit risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position totaled $66.8 million, in which $66.6 million of collateral was posted to cover these positions. In the event that the credit rating of East West Bank had been downgraded to below investment grade, minimal additional collateral would have been required to be posted as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
Offsetting of Derivatives

The following tables present the gross derivative asset and liability fair values, the balance sheet netting adjustments and the resulting net fair values recorded on the consolidated balance sheet, as well as the cash and noncash collateral associated with master netting arrangements. The gross amounts of derivative asset and liability fair values are presented after the application of variation margin payments as settlements with central counterparties, where applicable. The collateral amounts in the following tables are limited to the outstanding balances of the related asset or liability, after the application of netting; therefore, instances of overcollateralization are not shown:
($ in thousands)As of September 30, 2022
Gross
Amounts
Recognized (1)
Gross Amounts Offset on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amounts
Presented
on the
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Not Offset on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amount
Master Netting Arrangements
Cash Collateral Received (3)
Security Collateral
Received (5)
Derivative assets$881,404 $(238,606)$(367,351)$275,447 $(64,703)$210,744 
 Gross
Amounts
Recognized (2)
Gross Amounts Offset on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amounts
Presented
on the
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Not Offset on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amount
Master Netting Arrangements
Cash Collateral Pledged (4)
Security Collateral
Pledged (5)
Derivative liabilities$1,029,601 $(238,606)$(600)$790,395 $(151,535)$638,860 
($ in thousands)As of December 31, 2021
 Gross
Amounts
Recognized (1)
Gross Amounts Offset on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net Amounts
Presented
on the
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Not Offset on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net
Amount
Master Netting Arrangements
Cash Collateral Received (3)
Security Collateral
Received (5)
Derivative assets$484,184 $(58,679)$(42,274)$383,231 $— $383,231 
 Gross
Amounts
Recognized (2)
Gross Amounts Offset on the Consolidated Balance SheetNet Amounts
Presented
on the
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
Gross Amounts Not Offset on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Net
Amount
Master Netting Arrangements
Cash Collateral Pledged (4)
Security Collateral
Pledged (5)
Derivative liabilities$390,171 $(58,679)$(174,048)$157,444 $(106,598)$50,846 
(1)Includes $4.6 million and $587 thousand of gross fair value assets with counterparties that were not subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
(2)Includes $1.8 million and $666 thousand of gross fair value liabilities with counterparties that were not subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
(3)Gross cash collateral received under master netting arrangements or similar agreements was $369.7 million and $47.0 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Of the gross cash collateral received, $367.4 million and $42.3 million were used to offset against derivative asset fair values as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
(4)Gross cash collateral pledged under master netting arrangements or similar agreements was $600 thousand, of which $600 thousand was used to offset against derivative liability fair value as of September 30, 2022. In comparison, gross cash collateral pledged under master netting arrangements or similar agreements was $176.5 million, of which $174.0 million were used to offset against derivative liability fair value as of December 31, 2021.
(5)Represents the fair value of security collateral received and pledged limited to derivative asset and liability fair values that are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements. GAAP does not permit the netting of noncash collateral on the consolidated balance sheet but requires the disclosure of such amounts.

In addition to the amounts included in the tables above, the Company also has balance sheet netting related to resale and repurchase agreements. Refer to Note 4 — Assets Purchased under Resale Agreements and Sold under Repurchase Agreements to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-Q for additional information. Refer to Note 3 — Fair Value Measurement and Fair Value of Financial Instruments to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-Q for fair value measurement disclosures on derivatives.