Universal Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 32 CA banks with half to twice its assets, Universal Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is assets per employee ($8.3M vs. a $8.6M peer median). Its weakest relative measure is net interest margin (3.00% vs. 3.77%).
| Measure | Universal Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 0.36% | 0.91% | Bottom third Ahead of 31% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 3.00% | 3.77% | Bottom third Ahead of 13% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 83.38% | 65.44% | Bottom third Ahead of 25% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $8.3M | $8.6M | Middle third Ahead of 44% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 94.06% | 94.52% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 83.38% is above the 65.44% peer median: it spends more to earn each dollar of revenue than most banks its size. Staff time on manual borrower verification (collecting pay stubs, bank statements, and employment letters, then re-keying them) is one of the larger controllable costs behind that number.
Banks closest in size
- American Continental Bank City Of Industry, CA · $385M
- Balboa Thrift and Loan Association Chula Vista, CA · $394M
- Community Bank of Santa Maria Santa Maria, CA · $397M
- Liberty Bank, National Association Irvine, CA · $399M
- Infinity Bank Santa Ana, CA · $360M
- Murphy Bank Fresno, CA · $357M
Questions about Universal Bank
How big is Universal Bank?
Universal Bank, established in 1954, is headquartered in West Covina, CA. It reported $388M in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 5 offices.
What is Universal Bank's return on assets?
0.36% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 0.91% median for 32 CA banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 31% of them.
What is Universal Bank's efficiency ratio?
83.38% in Q2 2026: it spent about 83 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 65.44%, and lower is better.
Is Universal Bank growing its loans?
Net loans shrank 6.7% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 3.4%.
Sources and method
Figures are from the FDIC’s public call report data for the quarter ending 06/30/2026, via FDIC BankFind. Return on assets and net interest margin are annualized year to date. Peers are CA banks with half to twice its assets in the same quarter, excluding this bank. The page refreshes daily, so new quarters appear as banks file. Compare another bank or see every California bank ranked.