Shore Bancshares, Inc.
                               18 E. Dover Street
                             Easton, Maryland 21601
                               Phone 410-822-1400


                                  PRESS RELEASE


               Shore Bancshares Reports Third Quarter EPS of $0.40


November 13, 2003

Easton,  Maryland - Shore Bancshares,  Inc., (NASDAQ - SHBI) reported net income
for the third quarter of 2003 of  $2,195,000 or $.40 per diluted share  compared
to the  $2,488,000 or $.46 per diluted  share  reported for the third quarter of
2002.  Net  income  for the  nine-month  period  ended  September  30,  2003 was
$7,172,000 or $1.31 per diluted  share,  an increase of 12.3% over September 30,
2002 earnings which totaled $6,385,000 or $1.18 per diluted share.

During the third quarter of 2003, net interest  income  declined  $317,000 or 5%
when  compared to the same  period in 2002.  Lower  overall  yields on loans and
investment  securities  were the  primary  reason for the  decline.  Noninterest
income  increased  $476,000 for the third  quarter of 2003  compared to the same
period in 2002,  primarily as a result of increased insurance agency commissions
and income from the Company's mortgage banking  activities.  Comparing the third
quarter of 2003 and 2002,  noninterest expense increased $534,000 or 12.6%. This
increase is attributable to the Company's  insurance  agency  operations,  a new
branch  location opened during the first quarter of 2003,  and,  generally,  the
growth of the Company.  A $91,000  gain on sales of  securities  was  recognized
during the third quarter of 2003.

For the  nine-month  period  ended  September  30,  2003,  net  interest  income
increased  $326,000  or 1.8%  when  compared  to the same  period  in 2002.  The
increase is attributable to a decline in interest  expense of $2,032,000 for the
nine-month  period in 2003  compared to 2002.  Noninterest  income for the first
nine months of 2003 increased $3,818,000, primarily as a result of the Company's
insurance agency operations. Insurance agency commissions totaled $4,683,000 for
the  nine-months  ended  September  30,  2003,  an increase of  $2,945,000  when
compared to the same period last year. This included  approximately  $668,000 of
contingency income received from insurance companies based upon the recent claim
history of the agency's customers. Contingency income is typically recognized in
the first quarter of each year.  Increased  gains on investment  securities  and
income generated by the Company's  mortgage banking  activities also contributed
to noninterest  income growth. The Company generated  approximately  $390,000 in
fee  income  during  the first  nine  months of 2003 from its  mortgage  banking
division,  which  began  operating  in  September  2002,  and  gains  on sale of
securities  totaled  $449,000  during the nine-month  period ended September 30,
2003  compared to $23,000 for the nine months ended  September  30,  2002.  When
compared to the same period last year, noninterest expenses increased $2,836,000
for the nine months  ended  September  30,  2003.  Insurance  agency  operations
accounted for $2,175,000 of the increase in noninterest expense. Other increases
in noninterest expenses were attributable to overall growth of the Company.

The  Company's  provision  for credit  losses was  $75,000  and  $66,000 for the
three-month  periods ended  September 30, 2003 and 2002,  respectively.  For the
nine-month  periods ended  September 30, 2003 and 2002, the provision for credit
losses was $235,000 and $277,000, respectively.

Total assets were  approximately  $710,852,000 at September 30, 2003 compared to
$654,067,000 at December 31, 2002. The increase was primarily the result of loan
growth funded by increased deposits.  Total loans were $458,725,000 at September
30, 2003, an increase of $19,186,000  over December 31, 2002, and total deposits
at  September  30,  2003 were  $591,762,000,  an increase  of  $46,570,000  over
December 31, 2002.

The Company paid a cash  dividend of $0.17 per share during the third quarter of
2003.

Shore Bancshares,  Inc. is a financial holding company  headquartered in Easton,
Maryland  and is the largest  independent  bank holding  company  located on the
Eastern Shore. It is the sole shareholder of The Talbot Bank of Easton, Maryland
and The  Centreville  National Bank of Maryland.  On May 1, 2002 Shore began the
operation of its insurance subsidiaries,  The Avon Dixon Agency, LLC and Elliott
Wilson  Insurance,  LLC.  Also  during  2002,  Wye  Financial  Services,  LLC, a
registered investment advisory firm, was formed.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press  release may  contain  forward-looking  statements  as defined by the
Private  Securities  Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking  statements
present  management's  expectations,  beliefs,  plans and  objectives  regarding
future  financial  performance,  and  assumptions or judgments  concerning  such
performance.  Any  discussions  contained in this press  release,  except to the
extent that they contain historical facts, are  forward-looking  and accordingly
involve estimates, assumptions,  judgments and uncertainties. There are a number
of factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from
those addressed in the forward-looking  statements. Such factors are detailed in
Part I, Item 1 of Shore's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended on Form 10-K/A,
for the year ended  December 31, 2002,  under the heading  "Risk  Factors."

For further information contact: W. Moorhead Vermilye, President and CEO