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The First Bancshares, Inc. Reports 2nd Quarter 2011 Earnings and Declaration of Dividend

Net income available to common stockholders for the three months ended June 30, 2011 amounted to $585,000, or $.19 per diluted share, compared to $572,000, or $.19 per diluted share for the same quarter in 2010, an increase of $13,000 or 2.3%.

M. Ray "Hoppy" Cole, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to see continued growth in our business as we position the bank for the addition of the 8 Whitney branches we are acquiring. We plan to have the acquisition closed during the third quarter of this year and look forward to welcoming those customers and employees to our team."

The following are key highlights for the six months ended June 30, 2011:

• Assets grew 7.58% to $541.2 million
• Loans, net of unearned interest increased 4.23% to $346.6 million
• Deposits increased 9.41% to $433.8 million
• Annualized return on average assets increased to .43% during the quarter from .32% at March 31, 2011
• Annualized return on average equity increased to 4.01% during the quarter from 2.89% at March 31, 2011

Net Interest Income and Non-Interest Income

Net interest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2011, was $4.5 million, a $432,000 increase compared to the second quarter of 2010. This improvement was a result of higher loan volume as well as continued decreases in overall funding costs.

Non-interest income increased for the second quarter of 2011 to $1,024,000 as compared to $986,000 for the second quarter of 2010. An increase in fee income and a smaller impairment loss on our securities portfolio attributed to this increase.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense increased for the second quarter of 2011 to $4,293,000 as compared to $3,895,000 for the second quarter of 2010. This reflects an increase of 10.2% in non-interest expense related to legal costs related to nonrecurring events including compromises of contingent claims and costs associated with the acquisition of the eight Whitney branches.

Total Assets, Net Loans and Deposits

Total assets were relatively unchanged between March 31, 2011, and June 30, 2011. Deposits saw a decrease of $.9 million or .2% over the same period. Total loans, net of unearned interest, increased $9.8 million or 2.9% between March 31, 2011, and June 30, 2011.

At June 30, 2011, The First Bancshares, Inc. reported total loans of $346.6 million, total assets of $541.2 million, total deposits of $433.8 million and stockholders' equity of $59.0 million. Return on average assets was .43% and return on average equity was 4.01% for the quarter.

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 Company's stock is traded on NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol FBMS. Information is available on the Company'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 SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov.

The First Bancshares, Inc.
M. Ray "Hoppy" Cole, CEO
or
DeeDee Lowery, CFO
601-268-8998