Tri-county banks reported mixed second-quarter results, but banker optimism and improved balance sheets suggest a measured economic turnaround is under way.

“The worst is behind us and the economy is gradually picking up,” Sung Won Sohn, a CSU Channel Islands professor and former Wells Fargo economist, told the Business Times. “Earnings have stabilized. However, when you compare it to a year ago that level was very low, so year-over-year comparisons may look fairly rosy.”

Four tri-county banks reported second-quarter results recently. Community West Bancshares posted a loss and First California Financial Group saw its income decline, but Montecito Bank & Trust and American Riviera Bank reported improved profitability. Here’s a closer look at each bank’s results:

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