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Cathay Bancorp, Inc. To Join Nasdaq Financial-100 Index Beginning October 26, 2000

Date 19/10/2000

Cathay Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: CATY) of Los Angeles, California, will become a component of the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index®, effective at the beginning of trading Thursday, October 26, 2000. Cathay Bancorp will replace First Security Corporation (Nasdaq: FSCO), which is being acquired.

With a market capitalization of $445 million, Cathay Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Cathay Bank, which provides financial services including construction, real estate, and consumer loans; and residential, commercial, and international trade financing.

The Nasdaq Stock Market lists nearly 5,000 companies, has the largest dollar volume of trades of any financial market, and trades more shares per day than any other U.S. market. Its current market capitalization is more than $5 trillion. Nasdaq is a subsidiary of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD®), the largest securities-industry, self-regulatory organization in the United States. For more information about Nasdaq, visit the Nasdaq Web site at www.nasdaq.com or the Nasdaq NewsroomSM at www.nasdaqnews.com.