WASHINGTON, DC and CHARLESTON, WV-- United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a first quarter 2006 dividend of 27¢ per share for shareholders of record as of March 10, 2006. This is a 4% increase over the 26¢ paid in the first quarter of 2005.

The dividend payout of approximately $11.3 million on 42.0 million shares is payable April 1, 2006. The year 2006 is expected to be the 33rd consecutive year of dividend increases to United shareholders. The annualized 2006 dividend of $1.08 equates to a yield of approximately 3% based on recent UBSI market prices.

United earlier today announced record earnings for the fourth quarter and year of 2005. Diluted earnings per share were 60¢ for the fourth quarter of 2005, an increase of 3% from diluted earnings per share of 58¢ for the fourth quarter of 2004. Fourth quarter of 2005 net income was $25.7 million, up from $25.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2004. Diluted earnings per share were $2.33 for the year of 2005, which represented a 5% increase from diluted earnings per share of $2.22 for the year of 2004. Net income for the year of 2005 totaled $100.4 million, up from $97.8 million for the year of 2004.

United Bankshares, with $6.7 billion in assets, has 90 full-service offices in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. United Bankshares stock is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market System under the quotation symbol "UBSI".