Sierra Bancorp (BSRR) will raise its quarterly dividend by 14.3 percent to $0.16 per share in 2018. This follows last year's 16.7 percent dividend hike by the bank holding company.

The new dividend will be paid on February 15, 2018 to shareholders of record as of February 1, 2018. Counting dividends paid by Bank of the Sierra prior to the formation of Sierra Bancorp, the Company has paid regular cash dividends to shareholders every year since 1987, comprised of annual dividends through 1998 and quarterly dividends since then.  The dividend noted in today's announcement marks the Company's 76(th) consecutive quarterly cash dividend.

Sierra Bancorp is a bank holding company for Bank of the Sierra, a state-chartered bank, which offers a range of retail and commercial banking services.  The Bank's products and services are related to the business of lending money and accepting deposits.