2012 News Releases

COMMERCE BANCSHARES, INC. DECLARES DIVIDEND

(St. Louis, MO – April 18, 2012) – Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) announced that its Board of Directors has approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share on the company's common stock payable June 26, 2012, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 08, 2012.

COMMERCE BANCSHARES ANNOUNCES ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING AVAILABLE BY WEBCAST

(St. Louis, MO – April 17, 2012) – Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH), a registered bank holding company offering a full line of banking services, announced that the company's annual meeting of shareholders will be available by webcast. Commerce Bancshares, Inc.'s annual shareholder meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. CDT, Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at The Ritz Carlton – St. Louis, 100 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, MO 63105.

COMMERCE BANCSHARES, INC. ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS PER SHARE OF $.74

(Kansas City, MO – April 12, 2012) – Commerce Bancshares, Inc. announced record earnings of $.74 per share for the three months ended March 31, 2012 compared to $.66 per share in the first quarter of 2011, or an increase of 12.1%. Net income for the first quarter amounted to $65.8 million compared to $60.5 million in the same quarter last year. For the quarter, the return on average assets totaled 1.29%, the return on average equity was 12.0% and the efficiency ratio was 58.9%.

COMMERCE BANK ANNOUNCES OFFICER PROMOTIONS

(Peoria, IL – April 2, 2012) – Sandy Beneventi, Senior Vice President, Commerce Bank Retail Division, recently announced the following officer promotions:

LOVILL NAMED CENTRAL MISSOURI REGION MARKET EXECUTIVE FOR COMMERCE TRUST COMPANY

(Columbia, MO – March 21, 2012) – Teresa Maledy, president, Commerce Bank, Central Missouri Region announced that Ryan Lovill has been named vice president and market executive for The Commerce Trust Company, Central Missouri Region. In his new position, Lovill will focus on all aspects of staff development, new business development and relationship management related to the division’s asset management, traditional trust and financial advisory services, private client group and private banking services for individual and institutional clients. Lovill has more than eight years of comprehensive investment experience and prior to moving to Columbia served as vice president and portfolio manager for Commerce Trust’s Kansas City office.

COMMERCE BANK EMPLOYEES GEAR UP FOR 16th REBUILDING TOGETHER PROJECT

(Peoria, IL – March 15, 2012) – Sandra Beneventi, executive vice president and market executive for retail services for Commerce Bank recently confirmed that Commerce employees are gearing up for their 16th year supporting Rebuilding Together Day in Peoria.

COMMERCE BANCSHARES, INC. (CBSH) ANNOUNCES PRESENTATION TO ANALYSTS AND INVESTORS IN NEW YORK AND BOSTON FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 1

(St. Louis, MO – February 22, 2012) – Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) announced today that Charles G. Kim, chief financial officer, Jeffery D. Aberdeen, controller, and Nicole A. Rose, manager of planning and acquisitions, of Commerce Bancshares, Inc., will make presentations in New York and Boston February 27-March 1.

COMMERCE BANCSHARES, INC. DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDENDS

(St. Louis, MO – February 10, 2012) – Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share on the company's common stock, which compares to the prior dividend of $0.219 as adjusted for the 5 percent stock dividend that was paid on December 19, 2011. This represents an increase in the quarterly dividend per share of 5% and marks the 44th consecutive year that the company has increased total dividends per adjusted shares. The dividend is payable on April 2, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 09, 2012.

MELISSA HENDRICKS JOINS COMMERCE AS ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT

(Bloomington, IL – February 7, 2012) – Robert Swank, Illinois Market Executive for the Commerce Trust Company recently announced Melissa Hendricks, CTFA, has joined Commerce as an Assistant Vice President and Trust Administrator/Relationship Manager.

COMMERCE BANCSHARES, INC. ANNOUNCES RECORD EARNINGS PER SHARE OF $2.82 FOR 2011

(Kansas City, MO – January 24, 2012) – Commerce Bancshares, Inc. announced record earnings of $2.82 per share for the year ended December 31, 2011, an increase of 17.5% compared to $2.40 in 2010. Net income amounted to $256.3 million in 2011 compared to $221.7 million in 2010, or an increase of 15.6%. The return on average assets was 1.32% in 2011, the return on average equity was 12.15%, and the efficiency ratio totaled 59.1%.