Renasant, First M&F Announce Merger, M&F Holders Will Receive 0.6425/Renasant Shares; First M&F Shares Halted

Renasant Corporation RNST and First M&F Corporation FMFC jointly announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Renasant Corporation ("Renasant" or "the Company") will acquire First M&F Corporation ("M&F"), a bank holding company headquartered in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and the parent of Merchants & Farmers Bank, a Mississippi banking corporation. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130207/CL56161LOGO ) Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will have approximately $5.8 billion in total assets and will rank as the 4^th largest bank by deposits in Mississippi. The transaction will add $1.6 billion in assets, $1.4 billion in deposits and 36 full-service locations throughout Renasant's Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee banking franchises. The merger will significantly increase the Company's deposit market share in the Birmingham and Memphis MSAs and the key Mississippi markets of Tupelo, Oxford and Starkville, and will provide entrance into the suburban markets surrounding Jackson, Mississippi. Additionally, the merger will provide a stable source of low-cost core deposits which will supplement and enhance Renasant's future growth activities. Finally, the merger will strengthen the Company's overall business lines by doubling its insurance operations and complementing its mortgage and wealth management divisions.