Exhibit 99.1

Press Release

BNC Bancorp Announces Earnings for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2016

High Point, NC – BNC Bancorp (NASDAQ: BNCN) (“Company”), parent company for Bank of North Carolina (“Bank”), today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. Highlights for the fourth quarter of 2016 include the following:

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Financial Performance

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Performance Ratios

Other Selected Financial Data

Richard D. Callicutt, II, President and CEO, stated, “We are extremely pleased to report record results for both the fourth quarter and full year of 2016. During the fourth quarter, after adjusting for all the transaction-related expenses, operating earnings increased a healthy 10.5%, while operating earnings per share increased to $0.43. Operating return on average assets was a healthy 1.21%, up slightly from the prior quarter, while operating return on average tangible common equity remained at 14.50%.

For the year, we are pleased to report a 40.2% increase in operating earnings, a $1.52, or 14.1%, increase in tangible book value, an 11.6% increase in operating earnings per share, and return on average tangible common equity of a robust 14.70%. While these performance highlights are the metrics which many people refer to when discussing our valuation, it continues to be our ability to attract exceptional people throughout a footprint that is highly concentrated in the best growth markets across the Carolinas and Virginia that enables us to produce such results.

As we look to the future, the challenges will continue to be digesting higher regulatory costs and transitioning our resources from a commercial real estate focused strategy, which has served us extremely well over our 25 year history, into one of greater balance as we build out the underwriting, monitoring, and risk management capabilities of our C&I businesses and related treasury support functions.”

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Non-interest Income and Expense Data

Total GAAP and operating non-interest income was $11.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase from $9.8 million for the third quarter of 2016. The increase in non-interest income was primarily due to the addition of High Point Bank Corporation (“High Point”), which generated additional deposit fees and additional trust and wealth services income. These increases were slightly offset by a seasonal decrease in mortgage lending income. Many of the other non-interest income sources, such as income from recoveries on acquired loans and income derived from trust/wealth services, are volatile and can vary significantly from period to period.

Total GAAP non-interest expense was $47.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase from $37.8 million for the third quarter of 2016. The results for the fourth quarter of 2016 include $9.1 million of transaction-related expenses and a $0.6 million loss on the extinguishment of debt. Excluding these charges, operating non-interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2016 was $37.8 million, an increase compared to $35.3 million for the third quarter of 2016. This increase was directly related to the additional headcount and facilities obtained from the Company’s acquisition of High Point.

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Selected Balance Sheet Data

Total assets at December 31, 2016 were $7.40 billion, an increase of 8.8% as compared to total assets of $6.80 billion at September 30, 2016. Total portfolio loans were $5.46 billion at December 31, 2016, an increase of 9.2% from $5.00 billion at September 30, 2016. Loans that were originated by the Company increased by $190.0 million, or 5.5%, during the fourth quarter of 2016.

Total deposits were $6.08 billion at December 31, 2016, an increase of $432.9 million, or 7.7%, as compared to September 30, 2016. Wholesale deposits comprised 21.3% of total deposits at December 31, 2016, a decrease from 27.5% of total deposits at September 30, 2016. Transactional deposits increased by $520.9 million, or 13.0%, at December 31, 2016, as compared to September 30, 2016. Total borrowings were $370.0 million at December 31, 2016, an increase of 19.1% compared to $310.6 million at September 30, 2016. Total shareholders’ equity was $901.9 million at December 31, 2016, an increase of $106.7 million, or 13.4%, as compared to $795.2 million at September 30, 2016. The increase in equity is primarily due to the issuance of 4.0 million shares of voting common stock in connection with the acquisition of High Point. At December 31, 2016, both the Bank’s and Company’s capital ratios exceeded the minimum thresholds established for a well-capitalized bank by regulatory measures.

On January 17, 2017, the Board of Directors announced the declaration of a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of $0.05 per share. This dividend is payable on February 24, 2017 to shareholders of record as of February 10, 2017. The $0.05 per share dividend rate is consistent with the rate declared in previous quarters.

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Loan Portfolio Composition

Acquired Loan Summary

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Asset Quality

Overall asset quality continued to improve during the fourth quarter of 2016, as total nonperforming assets were $41.2 million, or 0.56% of total assets, at December 31, 2016, as compared to $45.1 million, or 0.66% of total assets, at September 30, 2016. Excluding nonperforming assets acquired by the Company, nonperforming assets were $19.9 million, or 0.54% of non-acquired loans and OREO, at December 31, 2016, as compared to $21.0 million, or 0.61% of non-acquired loans and OREO, at September 30, 2016.

The Company experienced $0.3 million of net charge-offs during the fourth quarter of 2016, compared to net recoveries of $0.7 million during the third quarter of 2016. Gross charge-offs were $1.2 million during the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase compared to gross charge-offs of $0.9 million for the third quarter of 2016.

The allowance for loan losses was $37.5 million at December 31, 2016, an increase from $36.4 million at September 30, 2016. The Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $1.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2016, compared to $1.9 million recorded during the third quarter of 2016, as the Company continues to experience strong growth in the originated loan portfolio.

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Net Interest Income and Margin

FTE net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2016 was $61.5 million, an increase from $57.6 million for the third quarter of 2016. FTE net interest margin was 3.80% for the fourth quarter of 2016, as compared to 3.91% for the third quarter of 2016. The average yield on interest-earning assets decreased 14 basis points to 4.42% for the fourth quarter of 2016, while the rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities decreased slightly to 0.65%. Accretion earned on the Company’s acquired loan portfolio was $5.8 million during the fourth quarter of 2016, unchanged from the amount earned during the third quarter of 2016. Excluding accretion, the average yield on loans was 4.13% for the fourth quarter 2016, as compared to 4.23% for the third quarter of 2016.

Average interest-earning assets for the fourth quarter of 2016 were $6.43 billion, an increase from $5.87 billion for the third quarter of 2016. The increase was primarily due to the acquisition of High Point, as well as continued organic loan growth throughout our existing markets. Average interest-bearing liabilities were $5.18 billion for the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase from $4.80 billion during the third quarter of 2016. This increase was primarily in interest-bearing deposits, which increased $386.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2016 due to the High Point acquisition.

About BNC Bancorp and Bank of North Carolina

Headquartered in High Point, North Carolina, BNC Bancorp is the parent company of Bank of North Carolina d/b/a BNC Bank, a commercial bank with total assets of $7.40 billion. Bank of North Carolina provides a complete line of banking and financial services to individuals and businesses through its 76 current banking offices in Virginia, North and South Carolina. Bank of North Carolina is insured by the FDIC and is an equal housing lender. BNC Bancorp’s stock is traded and quoted in the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BNCN.” The Company’s website is www.bncbancorp.com.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. BNC Bancorp’s management uses these “non-GAAP” financial measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhance comparability of results with prior periods as well as demonstrating the effects of significant gains and charges in the current period. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. See the attached tabular disclosures for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements represent plans, estimates, objectives, goals, guidelines, expectations, intentions, projections and statements of our beliefs concerning future events, business plans, objectives, expected operating results and the assumptions upon which those statements are based. Forward-looking statements include without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and are typically identified with words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” or words or phases of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements may include, among other things, statements about the Company’s confidence in its strategies and its expectations about financial performance, market growth, market and regulatory trends and developments, acquisitions and divestitures, new technologies, services and opportunities and earnings. The forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company’s expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond the Company’s control. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect developments occurring after the statement is made, except as otherwise required by law. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, the risks and uncertainties described in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the periods ended September 30, 2016, June 30, 2016, and March 31, 2016, respectively. Please refer to the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov where you can review those documents.

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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures