8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) May 21, 2009

VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

New Jersey	1-11277	22-2477875
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
1455 Valley Road, Wayne, New Jersey		07470
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (973) 305-8800

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT

Item 8.01 Other Events

On May 21, 2009, Valley National Bancorp issued a press release reporting a common stock cash dividend payable July 1, 2009 to shareholders of record on June 5, 2009.

A copy of the press release is attached to this Current Report Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: May 27, 2009	VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
	By:	/s/    Mitchell L. Crandell
		Mitchell L. Crandell
		Senior Vice President and Controller
		(Principal Accounting Officer)

EX-99

EXHIBIT 99

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact:	Dianne M. Grenz
		First Senior Vice President
		Director of Marketing,
		Shareholder & Public Relations
		(973) 305-4005

VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP SETS RECORD AND PAYMENT DATE

FOR COMMON STOCK CASH DIVIDEND

Wayne, NJ – Thursday, May 21, 2009—Valley National Bancorp (NYSE:VLY) (“Valley”), the holding company for Valley National Bank, announced today that a common stock cash dividend of $0.19 per share will be paid July 1, 2009 to shareholders of record on June 5, 2009. The $0.19 per share dividend is relatively unchanged as compared to the previous quarterly cash dividend (adjusted for a five percent common stock dividend to be issued May 22, 2009 to shareholders of record on May 8, 2009).

Gerard H. Lipkin, Chairman, President & CEO of Valley remarked, “We are pleased to be able to continue our quarterly dividend in the same amount. The Board of Directors makes decisions to pay dividends on a quarterly basis. The Board continued the dividend relatively unchanged from the prior quarter, but consistent with its conservative philosophy, the Board is committed to examining and weighing relevant facts and considerations each time it makes a decision to pay a cash dividend, including, among other things, current earnings, capital levels, the impact of the current economic recession on our performance, potential future decisions to partially or fully repurchase Valley’s preferred stock from the Treasury and the Board’s commitment to shareholder value. Additionally, the Office of the Controller of the Currency has cautioned national banks to look at the dividend payout ratio to insure that such banks are able to lend to credit worthy borrowers. The historical level of dividends paid per share should not be used as an indicator of future levels of dividends to our stockholders.”

About Valley

Valley is a regional bank holding company, headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, with $14.4 billion in assets. Its principal subsidiary, Valley National Bank, currently operates 195 branches in 132 communities serving 14 counties throughout northern and central New Jersey and Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Valley is the largest commercial bank headquartered in New Jersey and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest in product innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable staff with a high priority on friendly customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Valley offers a wide range of deposit products, mortgage loans and cash management services to consumers and businesses including products

tailored for the medical, insurance and leasing business. Valley’s comprehensive delivery channels enable customers to bank in person, by telephone or online.

For more information about Valley National Bank and its products and services, please visit www.valleynationalbank.com or call Customer Service 24/7 at 1-800-522-4100.

Forward Looking Statements

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about new and existing programs and products, relationships, opportunities, taxation, technology and market conditions. These statements may be identified by such forward-looking terminology as “expect,” “believe,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to those factors disclosed in Valley’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.