Cathay General Bancorp (CATY) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Financial Services · Banks - Regional
EV/EBITDA
↓
9.33
+8% vs avg
5yr avg: 8.60
30Y Low4.0·High53.4
P/FCF
↓
10.88
↑+21% vs avg
5yr avg: 8.98
30Y Low3.0·High136.1
P/B Ratio
↓
1.37
+12% vs avg
5yr avg: 1.23
30Y Low0.3·High2.6
ROE
↓
10.9%
-11% vs avg
5yr avg: 12.3%
30Y Low-5%·High20%
Debt/EBITDA
↓
0.48
↓-48% vs avg
5yr avg: 0.93
30Y Low0.4·High40.3
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
CATY Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
Cathay General Bancorp trades at 13.0x earnings, 26% above its 5-year average of 10.3x, sitting at the 39th percentile of its historical range. This is roughly in line with the Financial Services sector median P/E of 13.6x. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 10.9x P/FCF, 21% above the 5-year average of 9.0x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $4.0B | $3.3B | $3.4B | $3.2B | $3.0B | $3.4B | $2.6B | $3.1B | $2.7B | $3.4B | $3.0B |
| Enterprise Value | $4.0B | $3.4B | $3.5B | $3.8B | $3.5B | $3.4B | $2.8B | $3.8B | $3.2B | $3.9B | $3.7B |
| P/E Ratio → | 13.02 | 10.66 | 12.05 | 9.17 | 8.45 | 11.31 | 11.22 | 10.93 | 10.04 | 19.43 | 17.37 |
| P/S Ratio | 2.86 | 2.38 | 2.48 | 2.48 | 3.35 | 4.68 | 3.45 | 3.75 | 3.80 | 5.63 | 5.71 |
| P/B Ratio | 1.37 | 1.12 | 1.21 | 1.19 | 1.23 | 1.38 | 1.06 | 1.33 | 1.29 | 1.74 | 1.66 |
| P/FCF | 10.88 | 9.05 | 10.58 | 8.52 | 6.56 | 10.22 | 8.17 | 7.14 | 8.30 | 13.90 | 13.17 |
| P/OCF | 10.74 | 8.93 | 10.46 | 8.44 | 6.52 | 10.10 | 8.03 | 7.02 | 8.13 | 13.73 | 12.97 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
CATY EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
Cathay General Bancorp's enterprise value stands at 9.3x EBITDA, 8% above its 5-year average of 8.6x. The Financial Services sector median is 11.4x, placing the stock at a 18% discount on an enterprise-value basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 2.42 | 2.53 | 2.89 | 3.86 | 4.77 | 3.71 | 4.61 | 4.51 | 6.44 | 6.87 |
| EV / EBITDA | 9.33 | 7.78 | 10.51 | 8.97 | 7.13 | 8.64 | 10.19 | 10.30 | 9.41 | 12.80 | 14.65 |
| EV / EBIT | 9.87 | 8.23 | 11.07 | 9.37 | 7.43 | 9.00 | 10.85 | 10.74 | 9.62 | 13.11 | 15.11 |
| EV / FCF | — | 9.22 | 10.80 | 9.92 | 7.56 | 10.40 | 8.77 | 8.77 | 9.85 | 15.92 | 15.85 |
CATY Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Cathay General Bancorp earns an operating margin of 29.4%, above the Financial Services sector average of 20.3%. Operating margins have compressed from 30.8% to 29.4% over the past 3 years, signaling potential cost pressures or competitive headwinds. ROE of 10.9% is modest. ROIC of 9.8% represents adequate returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 5.5%.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 55.1% | 55.1% | 49.8% | 59.8% | 85.5% | 92.7% | 72.3% | 77.0% | 83.7% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| Operating Margin | 29.4% | 29.4% | 22.8% | 30.8% | 52.0% | 53.0% | 34.2% | 42.9% | 46.9% | 49.2% | 45.5% |
| Net Profit Margin | 22.8% | 22.8% | 20.6% | 27.0% | 39.7% | 41.4% | 30.8% | 34.3% | 37.8% | 29.0% | 32.9% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 10.9% | 10.9% | 10.2% | 13.6% | 14.7% | 12.3% | 9.7% | 12.6% | 13.3% | 9.3% | 9.8% |
| ROA | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| ROIC | 9.8% | 9.8% | 7.3% | 9.2% | 12.3% | 10.6% | 6.4% | 8.7% | 9.1% | 8.3% | 7.0% |
| ROCE | 4.5% | 4.5% | 8.9% | 11.2% | 15.1% | 13.3% | 8.0% | 10.8% | 11.4% | 11.2% | 10.0% |
CATY Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
Cathay General Bancorp carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 0.5x, which is very conservative (89% below the sector average of 4.3x). Net debt stands at $63M ($209M total debt minus $146M cash). Interest coverage of just 0.7x is concerning — the company has limited headroom to absorb earnings volatility before struggling with debt service.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.38 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 0.46 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.68 | 1.68 | 1.34 | 0.48 | 1.21 | 2.41 | 2.14 | 2.43 | 3.35 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.20 | 0.19 | 0.02 | 0.08 | 0.31 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.21 | 1.27 | 0.94 | 0.15 | 0.69 | 1.92 | 1.48 | 1.62 | 2.48 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 0.17 | 0.22 | 1.40 | 1.00 | 0.18 | 0.60 | 1.64 | 1.55 | 2.01 | 2.68 |
| Interest Coverage | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.48 | 0.81 | 4.02 | 5.55 | 1.71 | 1.80 | 2.77 | 3.71 | 2.98 |
CATY Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
The current ratio of 0.20x is below 1.0, meaning current liabilities exceed current assets. The current ratio has improved from 0.13x to 0.20x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.21 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.21 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| Inventory Turnover | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
CATY Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Cathay General Bancorp returns 6.9% to shareholders annually — split between a 2.3% dividend yield and 4.6% buyback yield. The payout ratio of 29.8% is conservative, leaving significant room for dividend growth or reinvestment. The earnings yield of 7.7% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 2.3% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Payout Ratio | 29.8% | 29.8% | 34.3% | 27.9% | 28.0% | 33.3% | 43.1% | 35.5% | 30.7% | 39.7% | 33.9% |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 7.7% | 9.4% | 8.3% | 10.9% | 11.8% | 8.8% | 8.9% | 9.1% | 10.0% | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| FCF Yield | 9.2% | 11.1% | 9.5% | 11.7% | 15.2% | 9.8% | 12.2% | 14.0% | 12.1% | 7.2% | 7.6% |
| Buyback Yield | 4.6% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 6.9% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $68M | $72M | $73M | $75M | $79M | $80M | $80M | $82M | $81M | $80M |
Peer Comparison
Compare CATY with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CATYYou | $4B | 13.0 | 9.3 | 10.9 | 55.1% | 29.4% | 10.9% | 9.8% | 0.5 |
 HAFC | $933M | 12.4 | 8.8 | 4.6 | 57.5% | 24.3% | 10.0% | 7.4% | 2.5 |
 HOPE | $2B | 27.9 | 17.7 | 10.8 | 48.6% | 8.3% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 4.7 |
 PFBC | $1B | 9.5 | 4.1 | 7.2 | 55.0% | 38.0% | 17.2% | 13.5% | 2.0 |
 RBB | $435M | 13.9 | 14.8 | 10.2 | 49.9% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 3.7% | 6.5 |
 BCAL | $635M | 10.2 | 7.4 | 11.1 | 79.4% | 37.8% | 11.6% | 10.6% | 0.8 |
 EBMT | $182M | 12.1 | 9.3 | 6.4 | 70.9% | 15.0% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 3.2 |
 WAL | $9B | 9.1 | 9.7 | — | 61.1% | 22.9% | 13.2% | 6.5% | 5.4 |
 EWBC | $17B | 13.3 | 9.8 | 11.6 | 60.1% | 37.4% | 15.9% | 11.2% | 1.6 |
 BANC | $3B | 17.0 | 9.6 | 13.2 | 58.7% | 18.0% | 6.5% | 3.9% | 7.6 |
 CVBF | $3B | 13.7 | 13.2 | 13.0 | 79.9% | 43.8% | 9.3% | 6.8% | 3.5 |
| Financial Services Median | — | 13.6 | 11.4 | 11.1 | 64.1% | 20.3% | 9.0% | 5.5% | 4.3 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
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Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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CATY — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CATY stock.
What is Cathay General Bancorp's P/E ratio?
Cathay General Bancorp's current P/E ratio is 13.0x. The historical average is 14.5x. This places it at the 39th percentile of its historical range.
What is Cathay General Bancorp's EV/EBITDA?
Cathay General Bancorp's current EV/EBITDA is 9.3x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 12.9x.
What is Cathay General Bancorp's ROE?
Cathay General Bancorp's return on equity (ROE) is 10.9%. The historical average is 11.4%.
Is CATY stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, Cathay General Bancorp is trading at a P/E of 13.0x. This is at the 39th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is Cathay General Bancorp's dividend yield?
Cathay General Bancorp's current dividend yield is 2.33% with a payout ratio of 29.8%.
What are Cathay General Bancorp's profit margins?
Cathay General Bancorp has 55.1% gross margin and 29.4% operating margin. Operating margin above 20% indicates strong pricing power and cost efficiency.
How much debt does Cathay General Bancorp have?
Cathay General Bancorp's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 0.5x, indicating low leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.