CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP — Director's Dealing 2012

Aug 17, 2012

SEC Form 4 — Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership

Issuer: CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP (CATY)
CIK: 0000861842
Period of Report: 2012-08-15

Reporting Person: WU PETER (Director, Executive Vice Chairman/COO)

Non-Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Code	Shares	Price	A/D	Holdings After	Ownership
2012-08-15	Common Stock	A	680	—	Acquired	3363	Direct

Holdings (Non-Derivative)

Security	Shares	Ownership
Common Stock	874299	Indirect

Holdings (Derivative)

Security	Exercise Price	Expiration	Underlying	Shares	Ownership
Stock Option	$28.695	2014-02-19	Common Stock (100000)	100000	Direct
Stock Option	$37.00	2015-02-17	Common Stock (72170)	172170	Direct
Stock Option	$36.24	2016-01-25	Common Stock (72170)	244340	Direct
Stock Option	$23.37	2018-02-21	Common Stock (72230)	316570	Direct
Restricted Stock Units	$		Common Stock (6192)	322762	Direct
Restricted Stock Units	$		Common Stock (9116)	331878	Direct
Restricted Stock Units	$		Common Stock (5379)	337257	Direct

Footnotes

F1: Shares of Cathay General Banorp (the "Company") common stock acquired under the Company's 2005 Incentive Plan. As a condition to receiving these shares, the reporting person agreed to hold and not transfer, for the entire period during which the Company has any obligations outstanding under the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (disregarding any warrants to purchase common stock of the Company that the U.S. Treasury may hold) (the "Restriction Period"), all of the shares received. This transfer restriction will terminate upon the earlier of the end of the Restriction Period or the date of the reporting person's death or permanent disability.

F2: The reporting person is a co-trustee, together with his spouse, of the Wu Trust (the "Trust"), which has transferred the shares of CATY Common Stock previously held by the Trust to PACJU, LLC ("PACJU"), a Delaware limited liability company of which the Trust will serve as Manager and hold a 51.5% interest, with the reporting person and his spouse each holding a .5% ownership interest in PACJU in their own names. The balance of the interests in PACJU will be held by the reporting person's adult children, none of whom shares a household with the reporting person. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of CATY Stock held by PACJU except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

F3: The option is fully exercisable.

F4: The option vests in 5 equal annual installments beginning 2/21/09.

F5: Consists of long term restricted stock units within the meaning of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder ("EESA"). Each unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of CATY Common Stock.

F6: These restricted stock units are scheduled to vest in a single installment on March 23, 2013, or earlier in the event of death or disability, and are subject to certain transfer restrictions under EESA.

F7: These restricted stock units are scheduled to vest in a single installment on December 15, 2013, or earlier in the event of death or disability, and are subject to certain transfer restrictions under EESA.

F8: These restricted stock units are scheduled to vest in a single installment on May 8, 2014, or earlier in the event of death or disability, and are subject to certain transfer restrictions under EESA.