Earnings/Loss Per Share

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Earnings/Loss Per Share

Earnings/Loss Per Share

4. Earnings/Loss per Share

Basic earnings per share exclude dilution and is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock and resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in earnings. Potential dilution is excluded from computation of diluted per-share amounts when a net loss from operation exists.

Outstanding stock options with anti-dilutive effect were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share. The following table sets forth loss per common stock share calculations:

	For the three months ended June 30,						For the six months ended June 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)	2011			2010			2011			2010
Net income/(loss) attributable to Cathay General Bancorp	$	24,302		$	1,923		$	46,365		($	23,818	)
Dividends on preferred stock		(4,107	)		(4,096	)		(8,212	)		(8,188	)
Net income/(loss) available to common stockholders	$	20,195		($	2,173	)	$	38,153		($	32,006	)
Weighted-average shares:
Basic weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		78,635,324			78,513,577			78,622,464			75,599,854
Dilutive effect of weighted-average outstanding common share equivalents stock options		1,784			—			13,905			—
Diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		78,637,108			78,513,577			78,636,369			75,599,854
Average stock options and warrants with anti-dilutive effect		6,303,432			6,942,498			6,251,149			6,965,213
Earnings/(loss) per common stock share:
Basic	$	0.26		($	0.03	)	$	0.49		($	0.42	)
Diluted	$	0.26		($	0.03	)	$	0.49		($	0.42	)