Washington Financial Corp., the Spokane-based parent of Washington Trust Bank, has reported net income of $26 million through the first half of 2016, up from $21.5 million through the year-earlier period.

As of June 30 this year, Washington Trust had total loans of about $3.6 billion, up from just under $3.5 billion during the same period in 2015, according to financial data it has filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

As of June 30, Washington Trust’s total assets stood at $5.2 billion, up from $4.8 billion a year earlier.

The bank reported second-quarter earnings of $13.8 million, up from $11.9 million for the second quarter of 2015.

At the end of 2015, Larry Sorenson, Washington Trust’s chief financial officer, told the Journal he expected the institution to see loan and deposit growth of around 5 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in 2016. That would be roughly on par with the growth it experienced in 2015.

Washington Trust’s loan growth rate has been “much higher than GDP (gross domestic product) growth in the last six years, running at around 9 percent for a couple of years before slowing a bit in 2014” and last year, Sorenson said.

Washington Trust has led banks in deposits in Spokane County for six straight years.

WTB Financial reported 897 full-time employees as of June 30, up from 856 at the same time the year prior. 

Founded in 1902, Washington Trust Bank has 43 branches operating in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Utah.

It recently was among three selected finalists in the largest-employers category of a Best Places to Work Inland Northwest recognition program launched this year by the Journal of Business.