American Pacific’s Quarterly Profit Up 6%

American Pacific State Bank said its third-quarter profit rose 6% from a year earlier, to $641,000 from $604,000.

The Sherman Oaks-based bank, which specializes in U.S. Small Business Administration loans, said the gain in the quarter ended Sept. 30 reflected its “active loan program, strong net interest margin and tight reign over expenses.” The net-interest margin measures how much the bank earns in interest on its loans minus the interest it pays on deposits.

American Pacific’s earnings for the first nine months of this year rose 7%, to $1.74 million from $1.62 million. Its assets as of Sept. 30 totaled $227 million, up 6% from $214 million a year earlier.