Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. Shareholders Approve Increase in Authorized Shares.

Business Editors

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 2003

Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. (NASDAQ:OZRK) shareholders voted at a special meeting held today to increase the authorized shares of the Company's common stock. This increase in authorized shares will permit the Company to effect a two-for-one stock split previously approved and announced by the Board of Directors. The stock split will be accomplished by issuing one additional share of common stock for each outstanding share and will be effective December 10, 2003, as previously announced. The Company has been advised by NASDAQ that the shares will trade on a post-split basis commencing on December 11, 2003.

George Gleason, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, "This is our Company's second two-for-one stock split in the last 18 months with the first occurring in June 2002. This stock split is intended to continue our efforts to make our shares more accessible to individual shareholders and to increase our overall shareholder base."

Mr. Gleason added, "We have achieved record net income and earnings per share in each of the last eleven quarters. This performance has enabled us to increase our quarterly cash dividend seven times in the last eleven quarters. These stock splits and dividend increases underscore our commitment to shareholders."

Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. is a bank holding company with $1.25 billion in total assets as of September 30, 2003 and trades on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol "OZRK." The Company owns a state chartered subsidiary bank that conducts banking operations through 39 offices in 24 communities throughout northern, western and central Arkansas and loan production offices in Mountain Home, Arkansas, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Frisco and Dallas, Texas. The Company may be contacted at [phone] or P.O. Box 8811, Little Rock, Arkansas 72231-8811. The Company's website is: www.bankozarks.com.