Sierra Bancorp Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

PORTERVILLE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sierra Bancorp BSRR, parent of Bank of the Sierra, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share, representing an increase of 9% over the dividend paid last quarter and up 20% from the dividend paid a year ago.  The dividend was approved subsequent to the Board's review of the Company's financial results for the quarter and the year ended December 31, 2015, which reflect continued capital strength, improved operating results, robust growth in loans and deposits, and respectable credit quality.  The dividend will be paid on February 18, 2016, to shareholders of record as of February 4, 2016.  Including dividends paid by Bank of the Sierra prior to the formation of Sierra Bancorp, the Company has paid regular cash dividends to shareholders every year since 1987, comprised of annual dividends from 1987 through 1998 and quarterly dividends since then.  The dividend noted in today's announcement marks the Company's 68^th consecutive regular quarterly cash dividend.

Sierra Bancorp is the holding company for Bank of the Sierra (www.bankofthesierra.com), which is in its 39^th year of operations, and at almost $1.8 billion in total assets is the largest independent bank headquartered in the South San Joaquin Valley.  The Company has over 400 employees and conducts business through 28 full-service branches, a loan production office, an online branch, a real estate industries center, an agricultural credit center, and an SBA center.

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company.  Readers are cautioned not to unduly rely on forward looking statements.  Actual results may differ from those projected.  These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including but not limited to the bank's ability to maintain current dividend payments or increase dividend payouts to shareholder, its ability to continue to generate record financial results, changes in economic conditions, interest rates and loan portfolio performance, and other factors detailed in the Company's SEC filings.  Sierra Bancorp undertakes no responsibility to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE Sierra Bancorp