BLUEFIELD, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 23, 2005--First Community
Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCBC) (www.fcbinc.com) announced today that
the board of directors declared a third quarter dividend of
twenty-five and a half cents ($.255) to stockholders. The dividend
represents an increase of 2.0% over the $.25 per share paid in the
third quarter of 2004. The increase is indicative of continued strong
earnings by the Company and its subsidiary bank, First Community Bank,
N.A. The third quarter dividend is payable to stockholders of record
September 15, 2005, and is expected to be paid on or about September
30, 2005.
The annualized second quarter dividend represents a yield of 3.6%
based on recent First Community market prices. 2005 is expected to be
the Company's 15th consecutive year of regular dividend increases to
stockholders. Earlier this year Mergent, a leading provider of global
business and financial information, recognized the Company as a
"Dividend Achiever." The Dividend Achievers are U.S. companies that
have increased dividends for at least ten consecutive years, and
represent less than 3% of all publicly-traded U.S. companies paying
dividends.
First Community Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Bluefield,
Virginia, is a $1.97 billion bank holding company and is the parent
company of First Community Bank, N. A. First Community Bank, N. A.
operates through fifty-three full-service banking locations, six loan
production offices, and two trust and investment management offices in
the four states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and
Tennessee. First Community Bank, N.A. is also the parent of Stone
Capital Management, Inc., a SEC registered investment advisory firm,
which offers wealth management and investment advice. First Community
Bancshares, Inc.'s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National
Market under the symbol "FCBC."
DISCLAIMER
This news release may include forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that
involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should one or more of
these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying
assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially.
These risks include: changes in business or other market conditions;
the timely development, production and acceptance of new products and
services; the challenge of managing asset/liability levels; the
management of credit risk and interest rate risk; the difficulty of
keeping expense growth at modest levels while increasing revenues; and
other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and
Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the most recent year ended. Pursuant to the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company does not
undertake to update forward-looking statements contained within this
news release.
CONTACT: First Community Bancshares, Inc.
Robert L. Schumacher, 276-326-9000
SOURCE: First Community Bancshares, Inc.