Financial Institutions, Inc. Announces Dividend

March 11, 2004

WARSAW, N.Y., March 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Financial Institutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: FISI) announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per common share, payable on April 1, 2004 to shareholders of record on March 22, 2004.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030114/FISILOGO )

In addition, the Board declared a quarterly dividend of $2.12 per share on Series B-1, 8.48% Preferred Stock and $0.75 per share on Series A, 3% Preferred Stock, payable on April 1, 2004 to shareholders of record on March 22, 2004.

With total assets of $2.2 billion, Financial Institutions, Inc. is the parent company of Wyoming County Bank, National Bank of Geneva, Bath National Bank and First Tier Bank & Trust. The four banks provide a wide range of consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, municipalities and businesses through a network of 49 offices and 70 ATM's in Western and Central New York State. FII's Financial Services Group also provides diversified financial services to its customers and clients, including brokerage, trust, insurance, employee benefits and compensation consulting. More information on FII and its subsidiaries is available through the Company web site at www.fiiwarsaw.com.

SOURCE  Financial Institutions, Inc.
    -0-                             03/11/2004
    /CONTACT:  Ronald A. Miller, Senior Vice President & CFO, Financial
Institutions, Inc., +1-585-786-1102/
    /Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030114/FISILOGO /
    /Web site:  http://www.fiiwarsaw.com /
    (FISI)

CO:  Financial Institutions, Inc.
ST:  New York
IN:  FIN
SU:  DIV

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4975 03/11/200409:49 ESThttp://www.prnewswire.com