American West Bank Posts 18% Profit Gain

American West Bank said its profit for the first half of 1988 climbed 18% from a year earlier, to $225,756, or 30 cents a share, from $191,661, or 25 cents a share.

American West is a single-office bank in Encino that primarily serves small- to medium-size businesses. In the six months that ended June 30, the bank’s deposits were up 43% to $48 million from $33.5 million, and its total assets rose 29% to $54.7 million from $42.4 million.