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The First Bancshares, Inc. Reports 3rd Quarter Declaration of Dividend

^{Published on 2010-09-22 12:50:58 - Market Wire}
 

HATTIESBURG, Miss.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--The First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FBMS), holding company for The First, A National Banking Association, ([ www.thefirstbank.com ]) today announced that the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.025 per share. The record date will be September 23, 2010 with a payable date of September 28, 2010.

"We are pleased to announce our 3rd quarter dividend to shareholders. Our Board is committed both to growing our bank and to increasing shareholder value."

M. Ray aHoppya Cole, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented, aWe are pleased to announce our 3^rd quarter dividend to shareholders. Our Board is committed both to growing our bank and to increasing shareholder value.a

About The First Bancshares, Inc.

The First Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is the parent company of The First, A National Banking Association. The First has operations in Hattiesburg, Laurel, Purvis, Picayune, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis, Wiggins and Gulfport, Mississippi. The Companya™s stock is traded on NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol FBMS. Information is available on the Companya™s website, [ www.thefirstbank.com ].

Forward Looking Statement

This news release contains statements regarding the projected performance of The First Bancshares, Inc. and its subsidiary. These statements constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Actual results may differ materially from the projections provided in this release since such projections involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: competitive pressures among financial institutions increasing significantly; economic conditions, either nationally or locally, in areas in which the Company conducts operations being less favorable than expected; and legislation or regulatory changes which adversely affect the ability of the combined Company to conduct business combinations or new operations. The Company disclaims any obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments. Further information on The First Bancshares, Inc. is available in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at the SECa™s website, [ http://www.sec.gov ].