Note 4 - Earnings per Share (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

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

	Three months ended March 31,
(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)	2013			2012
Net income attributable to Cathay General Bancorp	$	28,847		$	28,913
Dividends on preferred stock and noncash charge from repayment		(5,184	)		(4,117	)
Net income available to common stockholders	$	23,663		$	24,796
Weighted-average shares:
Basic weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		78,795,564			78,678,645
Dilutive effect of weighted-average outstanding common share equivalents
Stock options		19,577			11,487
Diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		78,815,141			78,690,132
Average stock options and warrants with anti-dilutive effect		5,630,813			6,227,224
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.30		$	0.32
Diluted	$	0.30		$	0.32