Sterling Bank Declares Stock Dividend

Sterling Bank Declares Stock Dividend 


MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., June 21  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sterling Bank
(NASDAQ:STNJ), today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a 5%
stock dividend on the outstanding common shares of the Bank. This stock
dividend will be issued on July 31, 2004 to shareholders of record as of the
close of business on June 30, 2004.

In announcing the stock dividend, Robert H. King, President and CEO stated,
"This action by the Board of Directors is consistent with past practices, and
further validates our organization wide commitment to enhancing shareholder
value, and providing our shareholders with a consistent and solid return on
their investment."

Sterling Bank is a community bank headquartered in Burlington County, New
Jersey, with assets of $277 million as of March 31, 2004. Sterling Bank's main
office is located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey and its five other Community
Banking Centers are located in Burlington and Camden Counties in New Jersey.
Sterling Bank began operations in December 1990 with the purpose of serving
consumers and small to medium-sized businesses in its market area.  The Bank's
deposits are insured to the applicable regulatory limits per depositor by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Sterling Bank is a member of the Federal
Reserve System. The common stock of Sterling Bank is traded on the NASDAQ Small
Cap Market under the symbol "STNJ". For additional information about Sterling
Bank visit our website at http://www.sterlingnj.com/.

This news release may contain certain forward looking statements; either
expressed or implied, which are provided to assist the reader in understanding
anticipated future financial performance. These statements involve certain
risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions made by management, which are
subject to factors beyond the company's control and could impede its ability to
achieve these goals. These factors include general economic conditions, trends
in interest rates, the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans, and
results of regulatory examination, among other factors. 

DATASOURCE: Sterling Bank



CONTACT:  Robert H. King, President, [phone],

, or R. Scott Horner, Executive Vice President,

[phone], , both of Sterling Bank



Web site:  http://www.sterlingnj.com/ 

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