Short Interest in Cathay General Bancorp Rises 20%

The bank's stock sees increased short selling activity in February.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Cathay General Bancorp (NASDAQ:CATY), a Los Angeles-based bank, saw a 20% increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there were 1,950,831 shares sold short, up from 1,625,154 shares at the end of January. This represents 3% of the company's total shares outstanding.

Why it matters

The rise in short interest could indicate that some investors are betting against Cathay General Bancorp's stock performance in the near term. Short selling activity can provide insights into market sentiment and expectations around a company's future prospects.

The details

The short interest ratio, which measures the number of days it would take to cover all the short positions, currently stands at 4.9 days based on the stock's average daily trading volume. This suggests the short positions could be covered relatively quickly if needed.

  • As of February 13th, 2026, there was short interest totaling 1,950,831 shares.
  • On January 29th, 2026, the short interest was 1,625,154 shares.

The players

Cathay General Bancorp

A bank holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, that provides a full suite of financial services to commercial, institutional, and retail clients.

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The takeaway

The rise in short interest in Cathay General Bancorp's stock could signal that some investors are anticipating potential challenges or downside for the bank in the near future. However, the relatively low short interest ratio suggests the short positions could be covered quickly if the stock price moves in an unexpected direction.