In Brief: Preferred of California Delays Public Offering

Preferred Bank has postponed its $20 million public offering until after Labor Day at the earliest.

The $385 million-asset bank filed an application in June to sell more than one million shares to the public sometime this summer.

James T. Hill, managing director at Sutro & Co. in Los Angeles, said the offering was postponed because of a softening in the market for independent bank stocks and what he termed "the summertime doldrums."

"We just felt that the marketplace would be more receptive in the fall," said Mr. Hill, whose firm is the lead underwriter.

Preferred Bank, which serves mainly Chinese-Americans, was opened for business in late 1991. It operates four branches in the Los Angeles area.

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