8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 18, 2003

ECB BANCORP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

NORTH CAROLINA	0-24753	56-2090738
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

Post Office Box 337 Engelhard, North Carolina	27824
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (252) 925-9411

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits. The following exhibit is being filed with this Report:

Exhibit No.	Exhibit Description
99	Copy of press release dated June 18, 2003

Item 9. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On June 18, 2003, Registrant announced that its Board of Directors had declared a cash dividend of $0.125 per share of its common stock, payable on July 14, 2003, to its shareholders of record on June 30, 2003. A copy of Registrant’s press release is attached as Exhibit 99 to this Report and is incorporated by reference into this Report.

Disclosures About Forward Looking Statements

The discussions included in this Report and its exhibits may contain forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995, including Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. For the purposes of these discussions, any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward looking statements. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualifying words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “plans,” “projects,” or other statements concerning opinions or judgments of the Registrant and its management about future events. The accuracy of such forward looking statements could be affected by such factors as, including but not limited to, the financial success or changing conditions or strategies of the Registrant’s customers or vendors, fluctuations in interest rates, actions of government regulators, the availability of capital and personnel or general economic conditions.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

	ECB BANCORP, INC. (Registrant)
	By:	/s/ Gary M. Adams
Date: June 18, 2003		Gary M. Adams             Chief Financial Officer

2

EX-99

Exhibit 99

PRESS RELEASE

June 18, 2003

CONTACT: ECB Bancorp, Inc. Gary M. Adams, Chief Financial Officer (252) 925-5525 (252) 925-8491 facsimile

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ECB BANCORP, INC. REPORTS DECLARATION OF

QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND

ENGELHARD, NORTH CAROLINA-ECB Bancorp, Inc. (“ECB”), the parent holding company of The East Carolina Bank, announces that on June 18, 2003, ECB’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.125 per share, payable July 14, 2003 to shareholders of record on June 30, 2003.

On an annualized basis the Company’s 2003 dividend of $.50 per share represents a 25% increase over the annual dividend in 2002 of $.40 per share.

Headquartered in Engelhard, NC, The East Carolina Bank is a state-chartered, independent community bank insured by the FDIC. The Bank provides a full range of financial services through its 20 offices in eastern North Carolina, including new Loan Production Offices in Morehead City and Wilmington, mortgages, insurance services through the Bank’s licensed agents and investment and brokerage services offered through a third-party broker-dealer. ECB’s common stock is listed on The Nasdaq SmallCap Market under the symbol “ECBE”. More information can be obtained by visiting ECB’s web site at www.ecbbancorp.com.