Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. Raises 2018 Fourth-Quarter Cash Dividend Payment by 7.1% to $0.15 per share

• Second Increase in Quarterly Cash Dividend this Year

ARCHBOLD, Ohio, Dec. 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc., (Nasdaq: FMAO) the holding company of The Farmers & Merchants State Bank, with assets of $1.1 billion at September 30, 2018, today announced that it has approved a 7.1% increase in the company’s quarterly dividend payment. 

The new cash dividend has been raised to $0.15 per share from the previous dividend of $0.14 and represents the second increase to the quarterly cash dividend this year.  The fourth-quarter dividend is payable on January 20, 2019, to shareholders of record as of December 31, 2018. 

Paul S. Siebenmorgen, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “I am extremely proud that the board has approved the second increase in our quarterly dividend payment this year.  The fourth quarter dividend payment is 15.4% higher than the dividend payment in the fourth quarter last year.  2018 is shaping up to be a historic year for F&M. The increased quarterly dividend payment reflects management’s and the board of directors’ confidence in our future performance, and desire to continually create value for our shareholders.”

About Farmers & Merchants State Bank:
The Farmers & Merchants State Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana since 1897.  The Farmers & Merchants State Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services through its 24 offices.  Our locations are in Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Williams, and Wood counties in Northwest Ohio.  In Northeast Indiana we have offices located in DeKalb, Allen and Steuben counties.

Safe harbor statement
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (“F&M”) wishes to take advantage of the Safe Harbor provisions included in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions or capital market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.