First Hawaiian Bank, the state's largest bank, reported higher earnings for the fourth quarter and year as deposits, loans and other assets grew.

Net profit in the October to December period rose to $51.4 million, or 6.6 percent more than a year earlier, when it had earnings of $48.2 million

The bank said the results in part were due to a strategy by which it tries to deepen its relationship with customers with $5,000 or more in deposits and loans. Each of these customers is assigned a banker to take care of the customer's needs, according to the bank's Web site. First Hawaiian reported net income increased for an 11th year in a row, reaching $206.9 million.

"Our relationship strategy continued to serve us well," Don Horner, president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "Despite the slowing economy and margin pressure, we remain optimistic about continued earnings growth in 2008."

Total assets grew 4.9 percent to $12.6 billion at the end of the year.

By contrast, Bank of Hawaii, the state's No. 2 bank, had assets of $10.47 billion on Dec. 31. Bank of Hawaii's earnings fell 20 percent in the fourth quarter from the same period a year earlier.

First Hawaiian also reported loans and leases rose by $100 million during the year to $6.5 billion and that deposits increased by $200 million to $9.1 billion.

Revenue rose 6.6 percent to $623.6 million.

The bank was hit by Hawai'i's slowing economy in at least one area as its nonperforming loans and leases increased to 0.07 percent of assets from 0.01 percent a year earlier.

First Hawaiian is a unit of San Francisco-based BancWest Corp., which is owned by BNP Paribas, the largest bank in France and one of the largest banks in the world.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.