First Hawaiian Bank said its third-quarter 2007 earnings increased to $52.3 million, a 5 percent increase over the same period a year earlier.

The company also said it earned a total of $155.6 million during the first nine months of this year, up 3.5 percent from the year-earlier period.

"Despite a slowing economy, the bank posted another strong quarter. Our relationship strategy continues to serve us well," said Don Horner, First Hawaiian's president and chief executive officer.

The bank said its overall assets grew 5.1 percent to $12.5 billion while deposits increased 4.7 percent to $9 billion. Total loans and leases rose about 1 percent to $6.2 billion.

The bank's nonperforming assets represented 0.03 percent of the bank's overall assets, reflecting the bank's strong credit quality.

For the first nine months of this year, the bank said, its noninterest income increased 2.8 percent to $113.9 million.

Founded in 1858, First Hawaiian is the state's largest and oldest financial institution.

The company is a unit of BancWest Corp.

The bank's third-quarter financial results come several days after First Hawaiian promoted several top executives — Robert Fujioka, Raymond Ono and Robert Harrison — to vice chairman.

The three executives are expected to serve as the core of the bank's senior management team.

Reach Rick Daysog at rdaysog@honoluluadvertiser.com.