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Cathay General Bancorp Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

In This Article:

LOS ANGELES, January 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cathay General Bancorp (the "Company," "we," "us," or "our") (Nasdaq: CATY), the holding company for Cathay Bank, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024. The Company reported net income of $286.0 million, or $3.95 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2024 and net income of $80.2 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Three months ended

Year ended December 31,

(unaudited)

December 31, 2024

September 30, 2024

December 31, 2023

2024

2023

Net income

$80.2 million

$ 67.5 million

$82.5 million

$286.0 million

$354.1 million

Basic earnings per common share

$1.13

$0.94

$1.14

$3.97

$4.88

Diluted earnings per common share

$1.12

$0.94

$1.13

$3.95

$4.86

Return on average assets

1.37%

1.15%

1.40%

1.22%

1.56%

Return on average total stockholders' equity

11.18%

9.50%

12.21%

10.18%

13.56%

Efficiency ratio

45.70%

51.11%

53.84%

51.35%

46.97%

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Net interest margin increased to 3.07% during the fourth quarter from 3.04% in the third quarter.

  • Total loans, excluding loans held for sale, decreased to $19.38 billion, or 0.9%, from $19.55 billion in 2023.

  • Total deposits increased $360.8 million, or 1.9%, to $19.69 billion in 2024.

"We are pleased by the increase in the net interest margin compared to the third quarter of 2024. During the quarter, we repurchased 506,651 shares at an average cost of $47.10 per share for a total of $23.9 million," commented Chang M. Liu, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

INCOME STATEMENT REVIEW

FOURTH QUARTER 2024 COMPARED TO THE THIRD QUARTER 2024

Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was $80.2 million, an increase of $12.7 million, or 18.8%, compared to net income of $67.5 million for the third quarter of 2024. Diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1.12 per share compared to $0.94 per share for the third quarter of 2024.

Return on average stockholders’ equity was 11.18% and return on average assets was 1.37% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to a return on average stockholders’ equity of 9.50% and a return on average assets of 1.15% in the third quarter of 2024.

Net interest income before provision for credit losses

Net interest income before provision for credit losses increased $1.8 million, or 1.1%, to $171.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $169.2 million in the third quarter of 2024. The increase was due primarily to a decrease in interest deposit expense, partially offset by a decrease in interest income from loans and securities.