Compass Bancshares Named to KBW ''Honor Roll'' for Eighth Consecutive Year.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- For the eighth consecutive year, Compass Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq: CBSS) has been recognized as one of the best performing banks over the last decade by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., a New York investment banking firm specializing in banking and financial services. Compass was one of only 37 companies named to the prestigious 2005 "Honor Roll" by KBW.

The KBW Honor Roll acknowledges banking companies that have continually reported increases in earnings per share over the last 10 years. KBW's analysis was based upon originally reported earnings per share and included all nonrecurring items, such as merger charges, restructuring charges and accounting changes.

"Consistent earnings growth is a distinguishing hallmark of Compass and our inclusion on the KBW Honor Roll provides further evidence that our growth strategies are working and continue to produce superior results. Equally important, during the 10-year measurement period of the study our results reflect our ability to successfully navigate a variety of economic environments. We continue to believe that generating consistent growth in earnings and reinvesting in our franchise are the best ways to ensure that long-term value is created for our shareholders," said D. Paul Jones, Jr., Compass chairman and chief executive officer.

In addition to being named to the KBW Honor Roll, earlier this year Compass was named to Forbes "Platinum 400" as one of the best big companies in America for the sixth consecutive year. Compass also holds Mergent's "Dividend Achiever" designation for increasing dividends for at least 10 consecutive years and is a member of the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index.

Compass Bancshares, Inc. is a $28.8 billion Southwestern financial holding company which operates 385 full-service banking offices in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Texas. Compass is among the top 30 U.S. bank holding companies by asset size and ranks among the top earners of its size based on return on equity. Shares of Compass' common stock are traded through the Nasdaq stock market under the symbol CBSS. Additional information about Compass, a member of the S&P 500 Index, can be found at www.compassweb.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

In accordance with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Compass Bancshares, Inc. notes that any statements in this press release, and elsewhere, that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results of operations to differ materially from expected results. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year as well as its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.