Westamerica Plans 2M Share Buyback, About 7% of Company

The Board of Directors of Westamerica Bancorporation WABC today declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.37 per common share to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 6, 2012. The dividend is payable August 17, 2012. Westamerica Bancorporation's Board of Directors also approved a plan to repurchase, as conditions warrant, up to two million shares of the Company's common stock on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions prior to September 1, 2013. The repurchase plan represents approximately 7 percent of the Company's common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2012.