Wilshire Bank Expects Loss

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Shares of Wilshire Bancorp Inc. fell more than 11 percent Friday after the Koreatown bank holding company suspended its dividend and warned of a surprise second quarter loss.

Citing its souring loan portfolio, the parent of Wilshire State Bank said it expects a loss of as much as $5 million, or 17 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a second quarter profit of 11 cents per share on average.

Wilshire said it plans to temporarily suspend its 5-cent dividend.

“During the first half of 2010, we saw an acceleration of loans migrating to non-performing status and additional declines in underlying collateral values of our problem loans,” said Joanne Kim, Wilshire chief executive, in a statement. “Due to these negative trends in credit quality, we continue to take an aggressive approach to clearing problem loans from our balance sheet.”

The bank said the expected losses resulted in part from the sale of $49 million in delinquent and nonperforming loans at a 17 percent discount to carrying values. The bank did not specify the types of loans, but it has had troubles in its commercial, construction and commercial real estate portfolios.

Wilshire expects to report second quarter results July 27.

Shares closed down 99 cents, or 11.6 percent, to $7.56 on the Nasdaq.

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