Exhibit 99
First Busey Corporation ('BUSE') Announces 3-for-2 Stock Split
URBANA, Ill., July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Busey Corporation
(Nasdaq: BUSE) today announced that the Company's Board of Directors has
declared a 3-for-2 stock split. The stock split will be effected in the form
of a 50% stock dividend to be issued on August 3, 2004 for Shareholders of
record at the close of business on August 2, 2004. Fractional share amounts
resulting from the split will be paid to Shareholders in cash. This is First
Busey Corporation's sixth stock split since 1985.
The Company indicated that the stock split would result in the
distribution of approximately 6.8 million additional shares of common stock.
The stock split will lower the stock price to a range that may encourage
additional investment by current and potential Shareholders and may result in
enhanced liquidity for investors.
On August 4, 2004, First Busey Corporation stock will begin trading at the
adjusted price.
First Busey Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in
Urbana, Illinois. First Busey Corporation has three wholly-owned banking
subsidiaries with locations in three states. Busey Bank is headquartered in
Urbana, Illinois and has seventeen banking centers serving Champaign, McLean
and Ford Counties in Illinois. Busey Bank also has a Banking Center in
Indianapolis, Indiana and Loan Production Offices in Ft. Myers and Naples,
Florida. Total assets of Busey Bank were $1.5 billion as of June 30, 2004.
Busey Bank Florida is a federal thrift headquartered in Ft. Myers, Florida
with two banking centers located in Cape Coral, Florida. Total assets of
Busey Bank Florida were $137 million as of June 30, 2004. On June 1, 2004,
First Busey Corporation completed its acquisition of First Capital Bank in
Peoria, Illinois. First Capital Bank has three banking centers in Peoria and
one in Pekin, Illinois. Total assets at First Capital Bank as of June 30,
2004 were $254 million. Busey provides electronic delivery of financial
services through Busey e-bank, http://www.busey.com .
Busey Investment Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Busey
Corporation and owns three subsidiaries. First Busey Trust & Investment Co.
specializes in asset management and trust services with approximately
$1.25 billion in assets under care. First Busey Securities, Inc. (member
NASD/SIPC) is a full-service broker/dealer subsidiary with more than
$630 million in assets under care. Busey Insurance Services, Inc. provides
personal insurance products and specializes in long-term healthcare insurance.
This presentation includes forward looking statements that are intended to
be covered by the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements involve numerous
assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and
the risk that predictions and other forward looking statements will not be
achieved. First Busey cautions you not to place undue reliance on these
forward looking statements, as a number of important factors could cause
actual future results to differ materially from the expectations and
intentions expressed in such forward looking statements. These risks,
uncertainties and other factors include: the general state of the stock
markets, the economy and other factors that may influence investors generally.
SOURCE First Busey Corporation
-0- 07/28/2004
/CONTACT: Barbara J. Kuhl, President, of First Busey Corporation,
+1-217-365-4513, fax, +1-217-365-4592/
/Web site: http://www.busey.com /
(BUSE)
CO: First Busey Corporation
ST: Illinois
IN: FIN
SU: STS DIV