EXHIBIT 99.1

City National Corporation Grows Second-Quarter 2013 Net Income to $59.7 Million, Up 9 Percent From Second-Quarter 2012; First-Half 2013 Net Income Totals $111.3 Million, Up 10 Percent

Average loan balances reach record $15.4 billion, up 18 percent,
with commercial loans up 25 percent

Assets and deposits grow at double-digit rates year-over-year

Trust and investment fees up 46 percent from a year ago

LOS ANGELES, July 18, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Corporation (NYSE:CYN), the parent company of wholly owned City National Bank, today reported second-quarter 2013 net income of $59.7 million, up 9 percent from $54.8 million in the year-ago period. Earnings per share were $1.04, compared with $1.01 per share in the second quarter of 2012.

City National's net income in the first half of this year totaled $111.3 million, up 10 percent from $101.0 million in the first half of 2012. Earnings per share were $1.94, up 4 percent from $1.87 in the first half of last year.

City National also announced today that its Board of Directors has maintained and approved a quarterly common stock cash dividend of $0.25 per share, payable on August 21, 2013 to stockholders of record on August 7, 2013. The Board has also authorized a quarterly cash dividend of $13.75 per share on the 5.50 percent Non‑Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C (equivalent to $0.34375 per related depositary share), payable on August 13, 2013 to shareholders of record on July 29, 2013.

SECOND-QUARTER 2013 HIGHLIGHTS

• Period-end loans and leases, excluding loans covered by City National's acquisition-related loss-sharing agreements with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), reached a record $15.8 billion, up 17 percent from June 30, 2012 and up 4 percent from March 31, 2013. Average second-quarter loan and lease balances, excluding FDIC-covered loans, grew to $15.4 billion, up 18 percent from the second quarter of last year. Average commercial loans were up 25 percent from the same period in 2012.
• Second-quarter deposit balances averaged $23.1 billion, up 10 percent from the second quarter of 2012. Average core deposits, which equal 97 percent of total balances, were up 11 percent from the second quarter of last year.
• City National's assets under management or administration grew to $59.1 billion, up 18 percent from the second quarter of 2012. Trust and investment fees were $49.8 million, up 46 percent from the second quarter of 2012.
• Net loan recoveries in the second quarter of 2013 totaled $7.5 million, up from $4.8 million in the first quarter. Excluding FDIC-covered loans, second-quarter 2013 results included no provision for loan and lease losses. City National recorded a $1.0 million provision in the second quarter of 2012 and no provision in the first quarter of 2013. The company remains appropriately reserved at 1.83 percent of total loans, excluding FDIC-covered loans.
• City National remains well-capitalized. Under Basel I capital rules, the company's Tier 1 common shareholders' equity ratio was 8.8 percent at June 30, 2013.¹ Under Basel III rules, its estimated Tier 1 common equity ratio was 8.6 percent.² All of the company's pro-forma capital ratios are comfortably above the Basel III rules, which were approved by the Federal Reserve on July 2, 2013. These rules are not scheduled to be fully required until 2019.

"City National delivered another solid performance in the second quarter – its 81^st consecutive profitable quarter – achieving double-digit growth in assets, loans, deposits, and wealth management fee income, while strategically investing in, expanding, and benefiting from new talent, offices, products and technologies to better serve our clients and grow our business," said President and CEO Russell Goldsmith. "Our strong credit quality improved further. The company continued to add both new clients and more assets and income from existing clients.

"City National also added two new banking offices in the second quarter – one in San Francisco's East Bay area and, after 11 years in New York City, the bank's first ground-floor branch in Manhattan. This month, City National also expanded its commitment, capabilities and opportunities to serve the technology industry and its entrepreneurs and investors by opening a loan production office in Boston, led by an experienced technology banking team."

ASSETS

Total assets at June 30, 2013 were $27.4 billion, up 10 percent from the second quarter of 2012, but virtually unchanged from the first quarter of 2013. The increase from the year-ago period reflects higher loan balances, as well as growth in the company's securities portfolio.

NET INTEREST INCOME

Fully taxable-equivalent net interest income was $208.4 million in the second quarter of 2013, down 6 percent from the same period of 2012 but up 1 percent from the first quarter of this year. Fully taxable-equivalent net interest income for the first half of 2013 was $414.7 million, down 3 percent from $426.8 million in the year-ago period.

Average second-quarter deposits were $23.1 billion, up 10 percent from the year-ago period and 3 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013. Average deposits for the first half of 2013 totaled $22.8 billion, up 11 percent from the first half of 2012. Period-end deposits totaled $23.7 billion, up 12 percent from June 30, 2012 and up 3 percent from March 31, 2013.

Average core deposits were $22.4 billion in the second quarter of 2013, up 11 percent from the same period of 2012 and up 3 percent from the first quarter of this year. First-half 2013 average core deposits grew 11 percent from the year-ago period to $22.1 billion.

Second-quarter 2013 average noninterest-bearing deposits were up 17 percent from the same period of 2012 and 4 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013. Average noninterest-bearing balances in the first half of 2013 were up 19 percent from the same period last year.

Treasury Services deposit balances, which consist primarily of title, escrow and property management deposits, averaged $2.6 billion in the second quarter of 2013, up 21 percent from the same period of last year and up 14 percent from the first quarter of 2013. For the first six months of 2013, Treasury Services deposit balances averaged $2.4 billion, up 18 percent from the first half of 2012. The increases were due primarily to a continued increase in residential refinance activity, as well as existing home sales.

Second-quarter average loan balances, excluding FDIC-covered loans, were $15.4 billion, up 18 percent from the second quarter of 2012 and up 4 percent from the first quarter of 2013. For the first six months of 2013, City National's average loans, excluding FDIC-covered loans, were $15.1 billion, up 18 percent from the year-ago period.

Second-quarter average commercial loans were up 25 percent from the same period in 2012 and 6 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013.

Average balances for commercial real estate mortgages were up 29 percent from the second quarter of 2012, and they increased 3 percent from the first quarter of 2013. Average balances for commercial real estate construction loans declined 23 percent from the second quarter of 2012, but were up 2 percent from the first quarter of 2013.

Average balances for single-family residential mortgage loans were up 7 percent from the year-ago period and 3 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013.

Average securities for the second quarter of 2013 totaled $8.9 billion, up 14 percent from the second quarter of 2012 but down 9 percent from the first quarter of 2013. Total available-for-sale securities amounted to $7.0 billion at June 30, 2013, up from $6.9 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2012 but down from $7.7 billion at March 31, 2013.

The average duration of available-for-sale securities at June 30, 2013 was 3.2 years, up from 2.5 years at June 30, 2012 and 2.8 years at the end of the first quarter of 2013. These increases largely reflect higher long-term interest rates, which have slowed down mortgage prepayment expectations and increased the anticipated duration of mortgage-backed securities.

City National's net interest margin in the second quarter of 2013 averaged 3.24 percent, compared with 3.21 percent in the first quarter of 2013. The modest increase was due to strong loan growth and a reduction of short-term borrowings. For the first six months of 2013, City National's net interest margin averaged 3.22 percent, down from 3.83 percent in the previous year.

Second-quarter net interest income included $15.9 million from FDIC-covered loans that were repaid or charged off during the quarter. This compares with $27.4 million in the second quarter of 2012 and $15.6 million in the first quarter of 2013.

At June 30, 2013, City National's prime lending rate was 3.25 percent, unchanged from both June 30, 2012 and March 31, 2013.

COVERED ASSETS

Loans and other real estate owned (OREO) assets acquired in City National's FDIC‑assisted bank acquisitions totaled $885.4 million at the end of the second quarter of 2013, compared to $1.3 billion at June 30, 2012 and $953.3 million at March 31, 2013.

In the second quarter of 2013, City National recorded a $1.5 million non-cash net expense to reflect results of the quarterly update of cash-flow projections for the FDIC-covered loans, compared to a $0.1 million expense recorded in the first quarter of 2013. Due to improvements in the portfolio's credit quality and general market conditions, the company recorded an $11.9 million reversal of its allowance for covered loans in the second quarter of 2013.  The reversal of the allowance was offset by the expense on the related indemnification asset.

In addition to the $1.5 million non-cash net expense for the quarter, the company recognized $0.5 million of other covered assets expense.

City National will continue to update cash-flow projections for covered loans on a quarterly basis. Due to the uncertainty in the future performance of the covered loans, additional impairments may be recognized in the future.

OREO assets acquired by City National in its FDIC-assisted bank acquisitions and subject to loss-sharing agreements totaled $41.8 million at June 30, 2013, compared to $82.8 million at the end of the second quarter of 2012 and $43.8 million at March 31, 2013.

NONINTEREST INCOME

Noninterest income was $82.2 million in the second quarter of 2013, up 10 percent from the second quarter of 2012 but down 12 percent from the first quarter of 2013. City National's noninterest income for the first half of 2013 was up 17 percent from the same period of 2012.

The increases in noninterest income from the year-earlier periods were due largely to City National's acquisition of Rochdale. The decrease from the first quarter of 2013 was primarily attributable to higher FDIC loss-sharing expense, which was partly offset by increases in lease income and income from client swap transactions.  Results for the second quarter of 2013 also included a $5.6 million net gain on securities, compared with a net loss of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2012 and a net gain of $1.0 million in the first quarter of this year.

In the second quarter of 2013, noninterest income accounted for 29 percent of City National's total revenue, compared to 26 percent in the second quarter of 2012 and 32 percent in the first quarter of 2013.

Wealth Management

City National's assets under management or administration totaled $59.1 billion as of June 30, 2013, up 18 percent from the same period of 2012 but virtually unchanged from the first quarter of 2013. 

Trust and investment fees were $49.8 million, up 46 percent from the second quarter of 2012 and 7 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013. First-half 2013 trust and investment fee income was up 42 percent from the same period last year.

Brokerage and mutual fund fees totaled $8.1 million, up 53 percent from the year-earlier period and 1 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013. Brokerage and mutual fund fee income was $16.2 million in the first six months of this year, up 57 percent from the first half of 2012.

The year-over-year increases in assets under management, trust and investment fees, and brokerage and mutual fund fees were due to the Rochdale acquisition, additional client assets, and market appreciation.

Other Noninterest Income

Second-quarter income from cash management and deposit transaction fees was $12.9 million, up 12 percent from the second quarter of 2012 but down 1 percent from the first quarter of 2013. For the first six months of 2013, cash management and deposit transaction fee income was $25.9 million, up 14 percent from the first half of 2012. The year-over-year increases were due largely to higher sales volume and growth in transaction volumes among existing clients.

Fee income from foreign exchange services and letters of credit totaled $10.9 million in the second quarter of 2013, up 9 percent from the second quarter of 2012 and up 13 percent from the first quarter of 2013. First-half 2013 foreign exchange services and letters of credit fee income totaled $20.5 million, up 9 percent from the same period last year. The increases were due primarily to increased client activity and the addition of new clients.

Other income was $20.4 million in the second quarter of 2013, up 17 percent from the second quarter of 2012 and 11 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013.  Other income in the first half of this year was $38.8 million, up 25 percent from the year-ago period. The increases from the year-ago periods were due primarily to higher lease income and higher income from client swap transactions. Second-quarter 2012 results included only two months of lease income from the April 30, 2012, acquisition of First American Equipment Finance.

NONINTEREST EXPENSE

City National's second-quarter 2013 noninterest expense amounted to $211.4 million, up 9 percent from the second quarter of 2012. Excluding the acquisitions of Rochdale and First American Equipment Finance, noninterest expense was up 2 percent from the second quarter of last year.¹ Noninterest expense was virtually unchanged from the first quarter of 2013.

Noninterest expense for the first six months of 2013 amounted to $422.8 million, up 7 percent from the first half of last year.

CREDIT QUALITY

The following credit quality information excludes loans subject to loss-sharing agreements involving City National's FDIC-assisted transactions:

Net recoveries in the second quarter of 2013 totaled $7.5 million, or 0.20 percent of total loans and leases on an annualized basis. The company realized net recoveries of $2.7 million, or 0.08 percent, in the second quarter of 2012 and net recoveries of $4.8 million, or 0.13 percent, in the first quarter of 2013. Net recoveries for the first half of 2013 were $12.3 million, or 0.16 percent of total loans and leases. This compares with net recoveries of $7.2 million, or 0.11 percent, in the first half of last year.

At June 30, 2013, nonperforming assets amounted to $96.3 million, or 0.61 percent of the company's total loans and leases and OREO, compared to $133.3 million, or 0.98 percent, at June 30, 2012 and $103.1 million, or 0.68 percent, at March 31, 2013.

Nonaccrual loans at June 30, 2013 were $76.7 million, compared to $98.7 million at June 30, 2012 and $83.3 million at March 31, 2013. Criticized and classified loans declined from the first quarter of 2013, and overall credit trends remain favorable.

In light of improving credit metrics across the board and net recoveries, the company recorded no provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2013. The company recorded a $1.0 million provision in the second quarter of 2012 and no provision in the first quarter of 2013.

At June 30, 2013, City National's allowance for loan and lease losses totaled $289.9 million, or 1.83 percent of total loans and leases. That compares with $269.5 million, or 2.00 percent, at June 30, 2012 and $282.3 million, or 1.86 percent, at the end of the first quarter of 2013. The company also maintains an additional $25.1 million in reserves for off-balance-sheet credit commitments.

Commercial Loans

Commercial loan net recoveries were $2.9 million in the second quarter of 2013. This compares to net recoveries of $8.1 million in the year-earlier period and net recoveries of $2.2 million in the first quarter of 2013. Net recoveries in the first half of 2013 amounted to $5.0 million, compared to net recoveries of $13.4 million in the first half of last year.

Commercial loans on nonaccrual totaled $11.7 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to $19.1 million at June 30, 2012 and $7.3 million at March 31, 2013.

Real Estate Construction Loans

City National's $217.8 million commercial real estate construction portfolio includes secured loans to developers of residential and nonresidential properties. This portfolio represents less than 2 percent of the company's total loans.

Second-quarter net recoveries of construction loans were $2.7 million, compared to net charge-offs of $4.8 million in the second quarter of 2012 and net recoveries of $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2013. Net recoveries amounted to $5.3 million in the first half of 2013, compared with net charge-offs of $4.7 million in the first half of last year.

At June 30, 2013, construction loans on nonaccrual totaled $25.7 million, compared to $29.7 million at June 30, 2012 and $39.6 million at March 31, 2013.

Commercial Real Estate Mortgage Loans

Second-quarter net recoveries in the company's $3.1 billion commercial real estate mortgage portfolio were $1.0 million compared to net recoveries of $1.1 million in the second quarter of 2012 and a small net recovery in the first quarter of 2013. Net recoveries amounted to $1.0 million in the first-half of 2013, compared with net recoveries of $0.4 million in the first half of last year.

Commercial real estate mortgage loans on nonaccrual totaled $22.4 million, compared to $28.8 million at June 30, 2012 and $23.1 million at March 31, 2013.

Residential Mortgage Loans and Equity Loans and Lines of Credit

City National's $4.2 billion residential mortgage portfolio and $0.7 billion home equity portfolio continued to perform exceptionally well.  Together, they accounted for $0.4 million in net recoveries in the second quarter of 2013, compared to net charge-offs of $1.4 million at June 30, 2012 and net charge-offs of $0.2 million at March 31, 2013. Net recoveries amounted to $0.2 million in the first half of 2013, compared with net charge-offs of $2.0 million in the same period of last year.

Residential mortgage loans and home equity loans and lines of credit on nonaccrual were $16.8 million in the second quarter of 2013, compared to $20.6 million in the second quarter of 2012 and $13.2 million in the first quarter of 2013.

INCOME TAXES

City National's effective tax rate for the second quarter of 2013 was 29.7 percent, compared to 33.1 percent in the year-earlier period. For the first half of 2013, City National's effective tax rate was 29.4 percent, compared to 32.5 percent in the prior-year period.

CAPITAL LEVELS

City National remains well-capitalized. Under Basel I capital rules, the company's Tier 1 common shareholders' equity ratio was 8.8 percent at June 30, 2013.¹  The company's Tier 1 common shareholders' equity ratio was 9.6 percent at June 30, 2012 and 8.7 percent at March 31, 2013.¹ The change from the year-earlier period is a reflection of asset growth and the acquisition of Rochdale.

Under Basel III rules, City National's estimated Tier 1 common equity ratio was 8.6 percent.² All of the company's pro-forma capital ratios are comfortably above the Basel III rules, which were approved by the Federal Reserve on July 2, 2013. The new rules will begin a phase-in period for banks with less than $250 billion in assets, including City National, on January 1, 2015 and are expected to be fully implemented by January 1, 2019.

City National's Basel I total risk-based capital and Tier 1 risk-based capital ratios at June 30, 2013 were 12.8 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively. The company's Tier 1 leverage ratio at June 30, 2013 was 7.0 percent.

Basel I total risk-based capital, Tier 1 risk-based capital and Tier 1 leverage ratios at June 30, 2012 were 12.9 percent, 9.6 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively.

Basel I period-end ratio of equity to total assets at June 30, 2013 was 9.3 percent, compared to 9.1 percent at June 30, 2012 and 9.3 percent at March 31, 2013.

2013 OUTLOOK

Management continues to expect net income growth in 2013 to be modest. Nonetheless, loan and deposit balances are expected to increase, and credit quality should remain strong, though rising loan balances may require some modest loan-loss provision. The current low short-term interest rate environment and relatively flat yield curve will continue to put pressure on the company's net interest margin. This outlook reflects management's expectations for moderate economic growth throughout 2013 and does not take into account the effect that any changes in monetary policy could have on short-term interest rates.

CONFERENCE CALL

City National Corporation will host a conference call this afternoon to discuss second-quarter 2013 financial results.  The call will begin at 2:00 p.m. PDT.  Analysts and investors may dial in and participate in the question/answer session.  To access the call, please dial (866) 393-6804 and enter Conference ID 93427620.  A listen-only live broadcast of the call also will be available on the investor relations page of the company's Website at cnb.com.  There, it will be archived and available for 12 months.

ABOUT CITY NATIONAL

City National Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, City National Bank, provides banking, investment and trust services through 78 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville and Atlanta. The corporation and its investment affiliates manage or administer $59.1 billion in client investment assets, including more than $40 billion under direct management.

For more information about City National, visit the company's Website at cnb.com.

SAFE-HARBOR LANGUAGE

This news release contains forward-looking statements about the company, for which the company claims the protection of the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

A number of factors, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control or predict, could cause future results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.  These factors include: (1) changes in general economic, political, or industry conditions and the related credit and market conditions and the impact they have on the company and its customers, including changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; (2) the impact on financial markets and the economy of the level of U.S. and European debt; (3) the effects of and changes in trade and monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; (4) continued delay in the pace of economic recovery and continued stagnant or decreasing employment levels; (5) the effect of the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and the rules and regulations to be promulgated by supervisory and oversight agencies implementing the new legislation, taking into account that the precise timing, extent and nature of such rules and regulations and the impact on the company is uncertain; (6) the impact of revised capital requirements under Basel III; (7) significant changes in applicable laws and regulations, including those concerning taxes, banking and securities; (8) volatility in the municipal bond market; (9) changes in the level of nonperforming assets, charge-offs, other real estate owned and provision expense; (10) incorrect assumptions in the value of the loans acquired in FDIC-assisted acquisitions resulting in greater than anticipated losses in the acquired loan portfolios exceeding the losses covered by the loss-sharing agreements with the FDIC; (11) changes in inflation, interest rates, and market liquidity which may impact interest margins and impact funding sources; (12) the company's ability to attract new employees and retain and motivate existing employees; (13) increased competition in the company's markets and our ability to increase market share and control expenses; (14) changes in the financial performance and/or condition of the company's customers, or changes in the performance or creditworthiness of our customers' suppliers or other counterparties, which could lead to decreased loan utilization rates, delinquencies, or defaults and could negatively affect our customers' ability to meet certain credit obligations; (15) a substantial and permanent loss of either client accounts and/or assets under management at the company's investment advisory affiliates or its wealth management division; (16) soundness of other financial institutions which could adversely affect the company; (17) protracted labor disputes in the company's markets; (18) the impact of natural disasters, terrorist activities or international hostilities on the operations of our business or the value of collateral; (19) the effect of acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses and de novo branching efforts; (20) changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or regulatory agencies; (21) the impact of cyber security attacks or other disruptions to the company's information systems and any resulting compromise of data or disruptions in service; and (22) the success of the company at managing the risks involved in the foregoing.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the statements are made, or to update earnings guidance, including the factors that influence earnings.

For a more complete discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please refer to the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

¹ For notes on non-GAAP measures, see pages 15 and 16 of the Selected Financial Information.

² Estimated based on management's interpretation of final rules adopted July 2, 2013, by the Federal Reserve Board establishing a new comprehensive capital framework for U.S. banking organizations that would implement the Basel III capital framework and certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. See page 15 of the Selected Financial Information.

CONTACT: Financial/Investors
         Christopher J. Carey, City National, 310.888.6777
         Chris.Carey@cnb.com

         Media
         Cary Walker, City National, 213.673.7615
         Cary.Walker@cnb.com

         Conference Call:
         Today 2:00 p.m. PDT
         (866) 393-6804
         Conference ID: 93427620