Health score, competitive moat, risk signals, and key metrics at a glance.
Cathay General Bancorp operates as the holding company for Cathay Bank that offers various commercial banking products and services to individuals, professionals, and small to medium-sized businesses in the United States. It offers savings accounts, checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, and public funds deposits, and acceptance of checking, savings, demand deposits, time deposits, real estate, and consumer loans. The company also provides loan products, such as commercial real estate loans, commercial loans, small business administration loans, residential mortgage loans, real estate construction loans, and home equity lines of credit, and installment loans to individuals for household and other consumer expenditures. In addition, it offers trade financing, letter of credit, wire transfer, foreign currency spot and forward contract, safe deposit, overdraft, cash checking, automatic teller machine, Internet banking, investment, and other customary bank services, as well as investment products and services, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, insurance, annuities, and advisory services. The company was formerly known as Cathay Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to Cathay General Bancorp in November 2003. Cathay General Bancorp was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
Competitive analysis based on 61 quarters of fundamental data
Operating margins are expanding at ~26.5%, suggesting durable pricing power and cost discipline.
ROE is positive at ~10.5% on average, adequate but below the threshold typically associated with wide moats.
Data-driven red flags and warnings across 61 quarters
Margins are stable or improving at ~29.6% — no sign of cost or pricing stress.
FCF covers net income by 1.1x on average — earnings are well-supported by cash generation.
D/E ratio is 0.0 — conservative capital structure with low financial risk.
Revenue has softened, declining in 4 quarters. Monitor for further erosion.
Free cash flow is consistently positive — the business self-funds without external capital reliance.
Shares decreased 7.7% — net buybacks are reducing shares outstanding and boosting per-share value.
as of March 2026
Revenue, EBITDA, operating income, net income, EPS, and shares
Gross, EBITDA, operating, and net margin trends
P/E, P/S, P/B, EV/EBITDA, FCF yield, and earnings yield
Total assets, cash, debt, book value, and leverage
Operating cash flow, free cash flow, FCF margin, and earnings quality
Free cash flow is consistently positive and growing — a hallmark of a capital-light business that can self-fund growth.
Revenue has grown modestly overall (~1.8%) but trajectory is uneven, suggesting a competitive or cyclical business.
