CATY 10-Q Quarter ended June 30, 2010

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2010

OR

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 0-18630

CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (213) 625-4700

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes ¨ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes ¨ No x

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Common stock, $.01 par value, 78,519,873 shares outstanding as of July 30, 2010.

Table of Contents

CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARIES

2ND QUARTER 2010 REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

Table of Contents

Forward-Looking Statements

In this quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the term “Bancorp” refers to Cathay General Bancorp and the term “Bank” refers to Cathay Bank. The terms “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Bancorp and the Bank collectively. The statements in this report include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the applicable provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding management’s beliefs, projections, and assumptions concerning future results and events. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provision for forward-looking statements in these provisions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including statements about anticipated future operating and financial performance, financial position and liquidity, growth opportunities and growth rates, growth plans, acquisition and divestiture opportunities, business prospects, strategic alternatives, business strategies, financial expectations, regulatory and competitive outlook, investment and expenditure plans, financing needs and availability and other similar forecasts and statements of expectation and statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Words such as “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “hopes,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “shall,” “should,” “will,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements by us are based on estimates, beliefs, projections, and assumptions of management and are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. Such risks and uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, adverse developments or conditions related to or arising from:

3

Table of Contents

These and other factors are further described in Cathay General Bancorp's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 (Item 1A in particular), other reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and other filings it makes with the SEC from time to time. Actual results in any future period may also vary from the past results discussed in this report. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak to the date of this report. Cathay General Bancorp has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to publicly announce any revision of any forward-looking statement to reflect future developments or events, except as required by law.

Cathay General Bancorp’s filings with the SEC are available at the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov, or by request directed to Cathay General Bancorp, 9650 Flair Drive, El Monte, California 91731, Attention: Investor Relations (626) 279-3286.

4

Table of Contents

I TEM 1. FIN ANCIAL STATEMENTS (U NAUDITED )

CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements

5

Table of Contents

CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements

6

Table of Contents

CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

7

Table of Contents

CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CON SOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

1. Business

Cathay General Bancorp (the “Bancorp”) is the holding company for Cathay Bank (the “Bank”), six limited partnerships investing in affordable housing investments in which the Bank is the sole limited partner, and GBC Venture Capital, Inc. The Bancorp also owns 100% of the common stock of five statutory business trusts created for the purpose of issuing capital securities. The Bank was founded in 1962 and offers a wide range of financial services. As of June 30, 2010, the Bank operates twenty branches in Southern California, eleven branches in Northern California, eight branches in New York State, three branches in Illinois, three branches in Washington State, two branches in Texas, one branch in Massachusetts, one branch in New Jersey, one branch in Hong Kong, and a representative office in Shanghai and in Taipei. Deposit accounts at the Hong Kong branch are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”).

2. Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2010. For further information, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management of the Company to make a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reported amount of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The most significant estimates subject to change are the allowance for loan losses, goodwill impairment, and other-than-temporary impairment.

3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2009, the FASB issued ASC Topic 860, formerly SFAS 166, “ Accounting for Transfers of Financial Assets - an amendment of FASB Statement No. 140. ” ASC Topic 860 removes the concept of a qualifying special-purpose entity and the provisions for guaranteed mortgage securitizations in earlier FASB pronouncements. A transferor should account for the transfer as a sale only if it transfers an entire financial asset and surrenders control over the entire transferred assets in accordance with the conditions in ASC Topic 860. ASC Topic 860 limits the circumstances in which a financial asset should be derecognized. ASC Topic 860 is effective for annual financial statements covering the first fiscal year ending after November 15, 2009. Adoption of ASC Topic 860 as of January 1, 2010, did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

8

Table of Contents

In June 2009, the FASB issued ASC Topic 810, formerly SFAS 167, “ Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46(R). ” ASC Topic 810 eliminates the quantitative approach previously required under FIN 46(R) for determining whether an entity is a variable interest entity. ASC Topic 810 requires an entity to perform ongoing assessments to determine whether an entity is the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity. The ongoing assessments identify the power to direct the activities of a variable interest entity, the obligation to absorb losses of the entity and the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the variable interest entity. ASC Topic 810 is effective for annual financial statements covering the first fiscal year ending after November 15, 2009. Adoption of ASC Topic 810 as of January 1, 2010, did not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU 2010-06 “Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements” in January 2010 to improve disclosure requirements related to ASC Topic 820. ASU 2010-06 requires an entity to report separately significant transfers in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements and to explain the transfers. It also requires an entity to present separately information about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2010-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements for Level 3 fair value measurements. Those disclosures are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010. Adoption of ASU 2010-06 as of January 1, 2010, did not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The Company does not expect a material impact on its consolidated financial statements from adoption of ASU 2010-06 for the disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements for Level 3 fair value measurements after December 15, 2010.

The FASB issued ASU 2010-20 “Disclosure about Credit Quality and the Allowance for Credit Losses” in July 2010 to provide disclosures that facilitate financial statement users’ evaluation of (i) the nature of credit risk inherent in the entity’s portfolio of financing receivables, (ii) how that risk is analyzed and assessed in arriving at the allowance for credit losses, and (iii) the changes and reasons for those changes in the allowance for credit losses. An entity should provide disclosures on two levels of disaggregation- portfolio segment and class of financing receivable. The disclosure requirements include, among other things, a roll-forward schedule of the allowance for credit losses as well as information about modified, impaired, non-accrual and past due loans and credit quality indicators. ASU 2010-20 will be effective for the entity’s financial statements as of December 31, 2010, as it relates to disclosures required as of the end of a reporting period. Disclosures that relate to activity during a reporting period will be required for the entity’s financial statements that include periods beginning on or after January 1, 2011. The Company does not expect a material impact on its consolidated financial statements from adoption of ASU 2010-20 beginning December 31, 2010.

4. Earnings/Loss per Share

Basic earnings per share excludes 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.

9

Table of Contents

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:

5. Stock-Based Compensation

Under the Company’s equity incentive plans, directors and eligible employees may be granted incentive or non-statutory stock options and/or restricted stock units, or awarded non-vested stock. As of June 30, 2010, the only options granted by the Company were non-statutory stock options to selected bank officers and non-employee directors at exercise prices equal to the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. Such options have a maximum ten-year term and vest in 20% annual increments (subject to early termination in certain events) except options granted to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company for 100,000 shares on February 21, 2008, of which 50% were vested on February 21, 2009, and the remaining 50% were vested on February 21, 2010. If such options expire or terminate without having been exercised, any shares not purchased will again be available for future grants or awards. Stock options are typically granted in the first quarter of the year. There were no options granted during 2009 and during the first six months of 2010. The Company expects to issue new shares to satisfy stock option exercises and the vesting of restricted stock units.

Stock-based compensation expense for stock options is calculated based on the fair value of the award at the grant date for those options expected to vest, and is recognized as an expense over the vesting period of the grant. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the value of granted options. This model takes into account the option exercise price, the expected life, the current price of the underlying stock, the expected volatility of the Company’s stock, expected dividends on the stock and a risk-free interest rate. The Company estimates the expected volatility based on the Company’s historical stock prices for the period corresponding to the expected life of the stock options. Based on Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 107 and SAB 110, the Company has estimated the expected life of the options based on the average of the contractual period and the vesting period and has consistently applied the simplified method to all options granted starting from 2005. Option compensation expense totaled $696,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2010, and $1.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009. For the six months ended June 30, option compensation expense totaled $1.8 million for 2010 and $2.6 million for 2009. Stock-based compensation is recognized ratably over the requisite service period for all awards. Unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to stock options totaled $3.2 million at June 30, 2010, and is expected to be recognized over the next 2.1 years.

No stock options were exercised during the first six months of 2010. Cash received totaled $13,000 and the aggregate intrinsic value totaled $8,000 from the exercise of stock options on 1,280 shares

10

Table of Contents

during the six months ended June 30, 2009. The fair value of stock options vested was $35,000 for the second quarter of 2010 compared to $100,000 for the second quarter of 2009. The table below summarizes stock option activity for the periods indicated:

At June 30, 2010, 1,727,002 shares were available under the Company’s 2005 Incentive Plan for future grants.

In addition to stock options above, in February 2008, the Company granted restricted stock units on 82,291 shares of the Company’s common stock to its eligible employees. On the date of granting these restricted stock units, the closing price of the Company’s stock was $23.37 per share. Such restricted stock units have a maximum term of five years and vest in approximately 20% annual increments subject to employees’ continued employment with the Company. On February 21, 2009, restricted stock units on 15,828 shares were vested at the closing price of $8.94 per share. Among the 15,828 restricted stock units, 2,865 shares were cancelled immediately for employees who elected to satisfy income tax withholding amounts through cancellation of restricted stock units. A total of 12,963 shares of the Company’s common stock were issued on these restricted stock units as of February 21, 2009. On February 21, 2010, an additional restricted stock units on 15,006 shares were vested and issued at the closing price of $9.64 per share. The following table presents information relating to the restricted stock units as of June 30, 2010:

The compensation expense recorded related to the restricted stock units above was $82,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2010, and for the three months ended June 30, 2009. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, compensation expense recorded was $163,000 in 2009 and in 2010. Unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock units was $872,000 at June 30, 2010, and is expected to be recognized over the next 2.7 years.

11

Table of Contents

Prior to 2006, the Company presented the entire amount of the tax benefit on options exercised as operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. After adoption of SFAS No. 123R in January 2006, the Company reports the benefits of tax deductions in excess of grant-date fair value as cash flows from operating activity and financing activity. The following table summarizes the tax benefit (short-fall) from share-based payment arrangements:

6. Investment Securities

The following table reflects the amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, gross unrealized losses, and fair values of investment securities as of June 30, 2010, and December 31, 2009: