Sterling Bancorp Prices Public Offering of Common Stock

MONTEBELLO, NY--(Marketwired - November 16, 2016) - Sterling Bancorp (NYSE: STL) (the "Company" or "Sterling"), the parent company of Sterling National Bank, today announced that it has priced its previously announced underwritten public offering of 3.8 million shares of the Company's common stock. Sterling has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 570,000 shares of common stock.

Gross proceeds to Sterling from this offering are expected to be approximately $80.8 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, funding potential acquisitions and other strategic business opportunities.

The offering is expected to close on November 22, 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.

Credit Suisse and UBS Investment Bank are joint book-running managers for the offering and may offer the shares of common stock from time to time for sale in one or more transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, in the over-the-counter market, through negotiated transactions or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from the offices of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, telephone: 1-800-221-1037 or email at newyork.prospectus@credit-suisse.com or UBS Securities LLC, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, Attn: Prospectus Department, telephone (888) 827-7275.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The offering of these securities will be made only by means of the above-described prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus.

About Sterling Bancorp

Sterling Bancorp, with its principal subsidiary Sterling National Bank, specializes in the delivery of service and solutions to business owners, their families and consumers within the communities we serve through teams of dedicated and experienced relationship managers. Sterling National Bank offers a complete line of commercial, business, and consumer banking products and services.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may concern Sterling Bancorp's and the Bank's current expectations about their future results, plans, operations and prospects and involve certain risks, including the following: satisfaction of each of the conditions to the underwriters' obligation to consummate the offering; corporate developments that could preclude, impair or delay the consummation of the offering due to restrictions under the federal securities laws; changes in general market, economic, regulatory or industry conditions; our ability to successfully implement strategic initiatives, grow revenues faster than we grow expenses, and to integrate and fully realize cost savings and other benefits we estimate in connection with acquisitions; a deterioration in general economic conditions, either nationally, internationally, or in our market areas, including extended declines in the real estate market and constrained financial markets; inflation; the effects of, and changes in, trade; changes in asset quality and credit risk; introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives; capital management activities; customer disintermediation; and the success of Sterling Bancorp and the Bank in managing those risks. Other factors that could cause Sterling Bancorp's and the Bank's actual results to differ from those indicated in forward-looking statements are included in the "Risk Factors" section of Sterling Bancorp's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date on which such statements were made.