LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

CU Bancorp (NASDAQ: CUNB), the parent company of wholly owned California United Bank, today announced that it has been recognized as a recipient of the 2016 Raymond James Community Bankers Cup. This is the second consecutive year CU Bancorp has been honored with this award.

Raymond James, a financial services investment company, annually presents the award to the top 10% of community banks based on various profitability, operational efficiency, and balance sheet metrics. The pool of community banks considered for recognition includes all exchange-traded domestic banks, excluding mutual holding companies and potential acquisition targets, with assets between $500 million and $10 billion as of Dec. 31, 2016. This year, 281 community banks were evaluated for recognition.

“We are honored that Raymond James has recognized us once again among an elite group of community banks for our superior financial performance,” said David Rainer, Chairman and CEO of CU Bancorp and California United Bank. “As their analysis highlights, recipients of the Community Bankers Cup, including CU Bancorp, have on average far outperformed the broader banking industry as measured against the one-year, three-year and five-year returns of the NASADAQ BANK Index, as well as compared to the broader NASDAQ Composite and S&P 500 indexes. In 2017, we continue to execute on the same sound strategies that have led to our outperformance in previous periods.”

Recipients of the Community Bankers Cup demonstrated superior performance on a relative basis in one or more of the following measurements of financial performance and stability: nonperforming assets to loans and real estate owned, five-year average core deposit percentage, net interest margin, efficiency ratio, return on average assets, and return on average tangible common equity.

About CU Bancorp and California United Bank

CU Bancorp is the parent of California United Bank. Founded in 2005, California United Bank provides a full range of financial services, including credit and deposit products, cash management, and internet banking to businesses, non-profits, entrepreneurs, professionals and investors throughout Southern California from its headquarters office in Downtown Los Angeles and additional full-service offices in the San Fernando Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, the Conejo Valley, Los Angeles, South Bay, Orange County and the Inland Empire. California United Bank is an SBA Preferred Lender. To view CU Bancorp’s most recent financial information, please visit the Investor Relations section of the Company’s Web site. Information on products and services may be obtained by calling 818-257-7700 or visiting the Company’s Web site at www.cunb.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking information about CU Bancorp (the “Company”) that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we assume no duty to update such statements. We caution readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, implied or projected by, such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: lower than expected revenues; credit quality deterioration or a reduction in real estate values which could cause an increase in the allowance for credit losses and a reduction in net earnings; increased competitive pressure among depository institutions; increased cost of additional capital; a change in the interest rate environment reduces net interest margins; asset/liability repricing risks and liquidity risks; legal matters could be filed against the Company and could take longer or cost more than expected to resolve or may be resolved adversely to the Company; general economic conditions, either nationally or in the market areas in which the Company does or anticipates doing business, are less favorable than expected; environmental conditions, including natural disasters and drought, may disrupt our business, impede our operations, negatively impact the values of collateral securing the Company’s loans and leases or impair the ability of our borrowers to support their debt obligations; the economic and regulatory effects of the continuing war on terrorism and other events of war; legislative or regulatory requirements, including, but not limited to requirements and expenses relating to the Bank Secrecy Act, the Company’s ability to demonstrate compliance with the BSA Consent Order to the satisfaction of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and the California Department of Business Oversight (“CDBO”), the possibility that any expansionary activities will be impeded while the BSA Consent Order remains outstanding, the Company’s ability to employ and retain additional qualified BSA staff or third parties, or changes adversely affecting the Company’s business; changes in the securities markets; regulatory approvals for any capital activities cannot be obtained on the terms expected or on the anticipated schedule; and, other risks that are described in CU Bancorp’s public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or if any of the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements proves to be incorrect, CU Bancorp’s results could differ materially from those expressed in, implied or projected by such forward-looking statements. For a more complete discussion of risks and uncertainties, investors and security holders are urged to read CU Bancorp’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports filed by CU Bancorp with the SEC. The documents filed by CU Bancorp with the SEC may be obtained at CU Bancorp’s website at www.cubancorp.com or at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These documents may also be obtained free of charge from CU Bancorp by directing a request to: CU Bancorp c/o California United Bank, 15821 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 100, Encino, CA 91436. Attention: Investor Relations. Telephone 818-257-7700.

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