Chemical Financial Corporation Increases Cash Dividend


MIDLAND, Mich., April 23, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Chemical Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:CHFC) announced that on April 22, 2008, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a second quarter 2008 cash dividend of $0.295 per share of common stock. The second quarter 2008 dividend will be payable on Friday, June 20, 2008, to shareholders of record on June 6, 2008. The ex-dividend date is June 4, 2008.

Chemical Financial Corporation is the third largest bank holding company headquartered in Michigan. The Company operates through a single subsidiary bank, Chemical Bank, with 129 banking offices spread over 31 counties in the lower peninsula of Michigan. At March 31, 2008, the Company had total assets of $3.80 billion. Chemical Financial Corporation common stock trades on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CHFC and is one of the issues comprising the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management's beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the financial services industry, the economy, and Chemical Financial Corporation itself. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "intends," "is likely," "judgment," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "should," "will," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions ("risk factors") that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what may be expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Chemical Financial Corporation undertakes no obligation to update, amend or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Risk factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described in Item 1A in Chemical Financial Corporation's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006; the timing and level of asset growth; changes in banking laws and regulations; changes in tax laws; changes in prices, levies and assessments; the impact of technological advances and issues; governmental and regulatory policy changes; opportunities for acquisitions and the effective completion of acquisitions and integration of acquired entities; the possibility that anticipated cost savings and revenue enhancements from acquisitions, restructurings, reorganizations and bank consolidations may not be realized fully or at all or within expected time frames; the local and global effects of the ongoing war on terrorism and other military actions, including actions in Iraq; and current uncertainties and fluctuations in the financial markets and stocks of financial services providers due to concerns about credit availability and concerns about the Michigan economy in particular. These and other factors are representative of the risk factors that may emerge and could cause a difference between an ultimate actual outcome and a preceding forward-looking statement.



            

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