WARRENTON, Va., June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fauquier Bankshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: FBSS) claimed the 104th spot in the nation's Top 200 Community Banks and Thrifts, as ranked by U.S. Banker magazine in its June 2008 edition. The magazine evaluated approximately 1,115 community banks and thrifts nationwide, a 255 increase in the number evaluated over 2007.

Randy K. Ferrell, President and CEO of Fauquier Bankshares, said "We were in the top 9% in our return on equity over three years and feel particularly pleased that we were able to achieve this distinction despite the housing-market decline, the credit crisis, and other recessionary pressures. U.S. Banker highlights the fact that we have pursued growth carefully by prudently avoiding subprime mortgages and vigilantly controlling expenses."

According to the U.S. Banker article, the bank's performance was almost two percentage points above the community bank ranked 200th in the research, with a 14.66 percent three-year average return on equity. Return on equity (ROE) is net income divided by the average shareholders' equity for the period. Financial analysts note that community banks and thrifts with strong returns on equity are capable of generating cash internally versus other, more risky methods. ROE is also considered one of the most important measures of management's ability to create value for a company's shareholders.

Fauquier Bankshares, Inc., and its principal subsidiary, The Fauquier Bank, had combined assets of $490.5 million and total shareholders' equity of $42.5 million at March 31, 2008. The Fauquier Bank is an independent, locally-owned, community bank offering a full range of financial services, including internet banking, commercial, retail, insurance, wealth management, and financial planning services through eight banking offices located in Fauquier and Prince William Counties in Virginia. Additional information is available at www.fauquierbank.com or by calling: (800) 638-3798.

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined by federal securities laws. These statements address issues that involve risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions made by management, and actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects include, but are not limited to, changes in: interest rates and the shape of the interest rate yield curve, general economic conditions, legislative/regulatory policies, monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the quality or composition of the loan and/or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, deposit flows, competition, demand for financial services in our market area, our plans to expand our branch network and increase our market share, and accounting principles, policies and guidelines. Other risk factors are detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Readers should consider these risks and uncertainties in evaluating our forward-looking statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements. We undertake no obligation to update these statements following the date of this news release.

SOURCE Fauquier Bankshares, Inc.