Note 4 - Earnings per Share (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]

	For the three months ended September 30,						For the nine months ended September 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)	2012			2011			2012			2011
Net income attributable to Cathay General Bancorp	$	30,358		$	26,084		$	89,132		$	72,449
Dividends on preferred stock		(4,123	)		(4,111	)		(12,361	)		(12,323	)
Net income available to common stockholders	$	26,235		$	21,973		$	76,771		$	60,126
Weighted-average shares:
Basic weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		78,729,272			78,640,308			78,706,150			78,628,477
Dilutive effect of weighted-average outstanding common share equivalents
Stock options		1,908			834			5,085			9,500
Diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		78,731,180			78,641,142			78,711,235			78,637,977
Average stock options and warrants with anti-dilutive effect		6,080,292			6,294,961			6,133,089			6,265,913
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.33		$	0.28		$	0.98		$	0.76
Diluted	$	0.33		$	0.28		$	0.98		$	0.76