Cathay General Bancorp : January 10, 2012 Cathay General Bancorp to Announce Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2011 Financial Results

PRESS RELEASES Cathay General Bancorp to Announce Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2011 Financial Results Los Angeles, Calif., January 10, 2012: Cathay General Bancorp (the "Company", NASDAQ: CATY), the holding company for Cathay Bank (the "Bank"), is scheduled to announce its fourth quarter and year-end 2011 financial results after the markets close on Monday, January 23, 2012. Cathay General Bancorp has scheduled a conference call as set forth below. Analysts and investors may participate in the question-and-answer session. Conference Call, Webcast, and Replay Information: Date: Monday, January 23, 2012 Time: 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time) Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes Telephone Access: Participants should join the live conference call 5 to 10 minutes before its scheduled start. The dial-in number is [phone], and the Participant Passcode is 81268353. Webcast Access: A listen-only live Webcast of the call will be available at www.cathaygeneralbancorp.com. A recorded version for replay will be available within 24 hours after the end of the call until January 23, 2013. ABOUT CATHAY GENERAL BANCORP Cathay General Bancorp is the holding company for Cathay Bank, a California state-chartered bank. Founded in 1962, Cathay Bank offers a wide range of financial services. Cathay Bank currently operates 31 branches in California, eight branches in New York State, one in Massachusetts, two in Texas, three in Washington State, three in the Chicago, Illinois area, one in New Jersey, one in Hong Kong, and a representative office in Shanghai and in Taipei. Cathay Bank's website is found at http://www.cathaybank.com. Cathay General Bancorp's website is found at http://www.cathaygeneralbancorp.com.