American Savings Bank’s net income declined 6 percent in the first quarter as it increased its provision for potential loan losses and endured higher expenses.

The state’s third-largest bank said today that its earnings fell to $12.7 million from $13.5 million in the year-earlier quarter.

American Savings boosted its loan-loss provision to $4.8 million from $614,000 primarily because of its riskier commercial real estate loan growth and a commercial credit charge-off about about $1 million. The bank also had about $1 million in higher noninterest expenses mainly due to investment in its electronic banking platform and higher compensation costs.

American Savings has been preparing to be spun off from parent Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. if the state Public Utilities Commission approves the $4.3 billion purchase of HEI by Florida-based NextEra Energy Inc.