EXHIBIT 99.1

Avenue Financial Holdings, Inc. Announces Record 2014 Results

Fourth Quarter Net Income Per Share Jumps 114% on Record Loans

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 26, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avenue Financial Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVNU) ("Avenue Financial" or "the Company") has announced record results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014. Net income for the fourth quarter rose 114.3% to $0.15 per diluted common share compared with $0.07 per diluted common share for the fourth quarter of 2013. Net income per diluted common share was $0.64 for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to net income per diluted common share of $0.45 for the year ended December 31, 2013, an increase of 42.2%.

"Avenue Financial's record results for 2014 were driven by strong loan growth from our significant business lines in our core Nashville market," stated Ronald L. Samuels, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Loans rose 21.0% to a record $693.9 million and total assets increased 12.3% to $999.3 million in 2014 compared with the prior year. Our loan growth was purely organic and highlights the strength from our key vertical markets in music and entertainment, healthcare, and increased demand from quality commercial real estate developments.

"We also recently completed two important financing transactions that strengthened our balance sheet and capital ratios. At year-end 2014, we issued $20 million in subordinated debt in a private placement and completed a successful initial public stock offering in mid-February 2015, raising an additional $14.7 million in net proceeds for the Company. As stated in previous SEC filings, we plan to use $18.9 million of the proceeds to redeem preferred stock associated with the Small Business Lending Fund and the remainder will build our stockholders' equity. The additional equity will be an important part in funding our continued growth. We are very pleased with the market's response to our growth strategy and our plans to use these proceeds to fund our future growth," continued Samuels.

Balance Sheet Growth

• Total assets increased $25.9 million, or 2.7%, to $999.3 million at December 31, 2014, from $973.4 million at September 30, 2014 and $109.7 million, or 12.3% compared with $889.6 million at December 31, 2013.
   
• Loans increased $40.7 million, or 6.2%, to a record $693.9 million at December 31, 2014 compared with $653.2 million at September 30, 2014 and up $120.5 million from December 31, 2013, for a year-over-year growth rate of 21.0%. Mortgage loans held-for-sale increased $22.7 million, or 450%, to $27.7 million at December 31, 2014 compared with $5.0 million at December 31, 2013. Portfolio residential mortgage loans totaling $21.8 million were identified as available-for-sale in the fourth quarter 2014. 
   
• Cash surrender value of company owned life insurance totaled $20.0 million at December, 31, 2014, up $3.6 million from September 30, 2014, or 22.1%, compared with $16.4 million at September 30, 2014. Two new single premium whole life insurance policies totaling $3.5 million were purchased during the fourth quarter of 2014.
   
• Deposits totaled $803.7 million at December 31, 2014, a decrease of 2.1% compared with $820.9 million at September 30, 2014 due to temporary cash flow needs for some of our significant commercial deposit accounts.  Deposits grew $97.9 million, or 13.9%, compared with $705.8 million at December 31, 2013. 

Revenue Growth and Profitability

• For the fourth quarter of 2014, net income available to common stockholders was $1.2 million or $0.15 per diluted share, compared with $2.4 million or $0.28 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2014. The decrease is attributable primarily to lower gain on sale of loans.
   
• Net interest income increased $26 thousand, to $7.6 million, for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared with $7.5 million for the third quarter of 2014 and $1.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. The fully tax equivalent net interest margin increased 14 basis points to 3.38% for the fourth quarter of 2014 from 3.24% for the fourth quarter of 2013. The increase can be attributed to a $91.0 million, or 11.2% increase, in net earning assets coupled with a 9 basis points increase in the yield on earning assets.
   
• Non-interest income decreased $846 thousand, or 44.4%, to $1.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2014 compared with $1.9 million for the third quarter of 2014. The decrease was due primarily to lower gains on sale of loans.
   
• Non-interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2014 increased $176 thousand, or 2.9%, to $6.3 million from $6.1 million for the third quarter of 2014. The increase was driven primarily by the write-off of a non-credit related loss of $200 thousand.

Asset Quality

• Nonaccruing loans were $695.4 thousand, or 0.10% of total loans, at December 31, 2014, compared with $889 thousand or 0.14% of total loans, at September 30, 2014.  Our ratio of non-performing assets to total assets increased to 0.41% at December 31, 2014, compared with 0.28% at September 30, 2014 due to the increase in other real estate owned. Total other real estate owned increased to $3.4 million at December 31, 2014 compared with $1.9 million at September 30, 2014 with the foreclosure of land and lot inventory from one borrower.
   
• Net loan charge-offs for the fourth quarter of 2014 were $345.2 thousand, or 0.20% of average loans for the quarter, compared with $179.6 thousand, or 0.13% of average loans for the fourth quarter of 2013. 
   
• The allowance for loan losses was $8.5 million, or 1.23% of loans, at December 31, 2014, compared with $8.4 million, or 1.29% of loans at September 30, 2014 and $7.2 million, or 1.26% of loans at December 31, 2013.
   
• The provision for loan losses was $456 thousand for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared with ($222 thousand) for the third quarter of 2014 due to increases in loan volume. 

"We are very pleased with our record results for 2014," continued Samuels. "Our earnings benefited from the scalable platform we have built over the last eight years. We believe we have demonstrated the success of our model by growing revenues at a faster rate than expenses in 2014 and we are positioned well to serve our customers in the coming year."

"Loan demand remains strong in Nashville as we enter 2015," stated Samuels. "Our markets continue to benefit from new development, job growth and a vibrant regional economy that is attracting new businesses to our market. As a result, we expect to report increased loans and deposits in the coming year."

About Avenue Financial Holdings, Inc.

Avenue Financial Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, was formed as a single-bank holding company in 2006 and operates primarily through its subsidiary, Avenue Bank. The Company's operations are concentrated in the Nashville MSA, with the vision of building Nashville's signature bank and serving clients who value creativity, expertise, and an exceptional level of personal service. Avenue Bank embodies Nashville's creative spirit - redefining how clients experience banking through a unique "Concierge Banking" model. The bank provides a wide range of business and personal banking services, including mortgage loans, with a special emphasis on Commercial, Private Client, Healthcare, and Music & Entertainment banking.  The Company serves clients through five locations (a corporate headquarters and four retail branches), a limited deposit courier service (mobile branch) for select commercial clients, and mobile and online banking services. The Company's stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "AVNU."

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "may," "should," "could," "predict," "potential," "believe," "will likely result," "expect," "continue," "will," "anticipate," "seek," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "projection," "would," and "outlook," or the negative version of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. There are or will be important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements, including, but are not limited to, the following:

• market and economic conditions (including interest rate environment, levels of public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, and venture capital financing activities) and the associated impact on us;
  
  
• changes in management personnel;
  
  
• deterioration of our asset quality;
  
  
• our overall management of interest rate risk, including managing the sensitivity of our interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities to interest rates, and the impact to earnings from a change in interest rates;
  
  
• our ability to execute our strategy and to achieve organic loan and deposit growth;
  
  
• the adequacy of reserves (including allowance for loan and lease losses) and the appropriateness of our methodology for calculating such reserves;
  
  
• volatility and direction of market interest rates;
  
  
• the sufficiency of our capital, including sources of capital (such as funds generated through retained earnings) and the extent to which capital may be used or required;
  
  
• our overall investment plans, strategies and activities, including our investment of excess cash/liquidity;
  
  
• operational, liquidity and credit risks associated with our business;
  
  
• increased competition in the financial services industry, nationally, regionally or locally, which may adversely affect pricing and terms;
  
  
• the level of client investment fees and associated margins;
  
  
• changes in the regulatory environment;
  
  
• changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws;
  
  
• governmental legislation and regulation, including changes in accounting regulation or standards, the nature and timing of the adoption and effectiveness of new requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act, Basel guidelines, capital requirements and other applicable laws and regulations;
  
  
• changes in interpretation of existing law and regulation;
  
  
• further government intervention in the U.S. financial system; and
  
  
• other factors that are discussed under the heading "Risk Factors." in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with other cautionary statements that are included in our registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 9, 2015, as amended. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

CONTACT: Barbara J. Zipperian
         Chief Financial Officer
         (615) 736-7786