Exhibit 99.1

July 30, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ECB Bancorp, Inc. Reports 2012 Second Quarter Results

ENGELHARD, N.C.-ECB Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE-Amex:ECBE) (“ECB” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012.

2012 Second Quarter Financial Highlights

For the three months ended June 30, 2012, net income totaled $588,000 compared to net income of $1,145,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2011. After adjustments for $266,000 in TARP preferred stock dividends and the accretion of warrant discount, net income available to common shareholders for the three months ended June 30, 2012 was $322,000 or $0.11 per diluted share compared to net income of $880,000 or $0.31 per diluted share for the three months ended June 30, 2011. For the six months ended June 30, 2012 net income totaled $965,000 compared to $61,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2011. Income available to common shareholders was $434,000 or $0.15 per diluted share compared to a net loss of ($469,000) or ($0.16) per share for the six months ended June 30, 2011.

Other Financial Highlights include:

The provision for loan loss totaled $866,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2012 down (31.9%) from $1,273,000 for the same period in 2011. Year to date loan loss provision as of June 30, 2012 totaled $866,000 down (83.3%) from $5,203,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2011. The decrease for the three and six month periods reflects the decrease in total loans outstanding, reduced charge-off levels for the six month period, and adjustments for loan loss migrations within the portfolio as previously announced.

- More -

A. Dwight Utz, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Based on various indicators during the second quarter, we expect 2012 to be a transitional year that moves ECB towards more consistent earnings performance. Although we continue to see pressure from a low and flat interest rate environment, our loan portfolio has begun to show some growth. We are encouraged that a number of our small business clients are predicting growth in their earnings streams, particularly in our coastal markets where tourism drives growth.”

Thomas M. Crowder, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer stated: “We have maintained our net interest margin while growing our balance sheet by $28 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2012. We continue to focus on enhancing the earnings in our investment portfolio, although the current interest rate environment makes this a difficult task. If we continue to experience a lower cost of funds and loan growth, we expect to maintain or even expand our net interest margin from its current 3.23% level during the second half of this year.”

Mr. Utz concluded, “As 2012 progresses, we believe we will be able to show improved earnings and modest growth from both a loan and asset perspective. ECB and our leadership team remain committed to becoming the pre-eminent community bank in eastern North Carolina.”

About ECB Bancorp, Inc.

ECB Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company, headquartered in Engelhard, North Carolina, whose wholly-owned subsidiary, 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 25 offices covering eastern North Carolina from Currituck to Ocean Isle Beach and Greenville to Hatteras. The Bank also provides mortgages, insurance services through the Bank’s licensed agents, and investment and brokerage services offered through a third-party broker-dealer. The Company’s common stock is listed on The NYSE-Amex Market under the symbol “ECBE”. More information can be obtained by visiting ECB’s web site at www.myecb.com.

- More -

“Safe Harbor Statement” Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Statements in this Press Release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, expectations or beliefs about future events or results, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, risk factors discussed in the Company’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “feels”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “forecasts”, “potential” or “continue”, or similar terms or the negative of these terms, or other statements concerning opinions or judgments of the Company’s management and Board of Directors about future events. Factors that could influence the accuracy of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: pressures on the Company’s earnings, capital and liquidity resulting from current and future conditions in the credit and equity markets; the financial success or changing strategies of the Company’s customers; actions of government regulators or changes in laws, regulations or accounting standards that adversely affect our business; changes in the interest rate environment and the level of market interest rates that reduce our net interest margins and/or the values of loans we make and securities we hold; weather and similar conditions, particularly the effect of hurricanes on the Company’s banking and operations facilities and on the Company’s customers and the communities in which it does business; continued or unexpected increases in credit losses in the Company’s loan portfolio; continued adverse economic conditions and real estate values in our banking market (particularly as those conditions affect our loan portfolio, the abilities of our borrowers to repay their loans, and the values of loan collateral); and other developments or changes in our business that we do not expect. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in this paragraph. The Company has no obligation, and does not intend, to update these forward-looking statements.

###

See 3 pages of financial information attached

ECB BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY

Consolidated Balance Sheets

June 30, 2012, December 31, 2011 and June 30, 2011 (unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

ECB BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY

Consolidated Results of Operations

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 (unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

ECB Bancorp, Inc.

Supplemental Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)