ISTR

Investar (ISTR) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.75 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.7 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.47 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +7.14%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this holding company for Investar Bank would post earnings of $0.69 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.87, delivering a surprise of +26.09%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Investar, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Southeast industry, posted revenues of $36.55 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.69%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $22.27 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Investar shares have added about 11.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.9%. While Investar has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Investar was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.75 on $37.25 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $3.10 on $146.71 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Southeast is currently in the top 36% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the same industry, Popular (BPOP), is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 23. This company that runs Banco Popular and other banks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. is expected to post quarterly earnings of $3.69 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +19.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.3% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. Popular's revenues are expected to be $842.26 million, up 5.3% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Popular, Inc. (BPOP) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

BATON ROUGE, La., July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Investar Holding Corporation ("Investar") (NASDAQ:ISTR), the holding company for Investar Bank, National Association (the "Bank"), today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. Investar reported net income available to common shareholders of $8.9 million, or $0.61 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2026, compared to net income available to common shareholders of $11.5 million, or $0.77 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and net income available to common shareholders of $4.5 million, or $0.46 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. On a non-GAAP basis, core earnings per diluted common share for the second quarter of 2026 were $0.75 compared to $0.87 for the first quarter of 2026, and $0.47 for the second quarter of 2025. Core earnings available to common shareholders excludes certain items including, but not limited to, gain on call or sale of investment securities, net; (gain) loss on sale of other real estate owned, net; gain on sale of loans; change in the fair value of equity securities; income from insurance proceeds; change in the net asset value of other investments; write down of other real estate owned; severance; and acquisition expense (refer to the Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures tables for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP metrics). Investar's President and Chief Executive Officer John D'Angelo commented: "I am excited about our second quarter results as we continued to execute on our strategy of consistent, quality earnings through the optimization of our balance sheet and benefit from our acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares, Inc. ("WFB"). Due to the dedication and hard work of our employees, we completed the operational conversion of WFB onto our core system in May. Our net interest margin improved substantially to 3.67%, an eight basis point increase from previous quarter, and we posted strong results for our core metrics including diluted earnings per common share, return on average assets and efficiency ratio. Loan yields remained stable, and we secured lower cost funding that was accretive to our net interest margin. We allowed higher cost brokered time deposits to run off and replaced them with lower cost, non-maturing deposits. We hired eight commercial bankers, primarily from larger banks, across our Texas and Louisiana footprint to continue the execution of our long-term growth strategy and remix the loan portfolio. Our strategy is to allow the consumer mortgage loans acquired from WFB to run off and replace them with production in our business lending portfolio primarily through the origination of higher yielding commercial and industrial loans. We are enthusiastic about our positioning for future growth both organically and through potential acquisitions. As always, we remain focused on shareholder value and returning capital to shareholders. We repurchased 27,235 shares of our common stock during the second quarter at an average price of $27.68. We also increased our quarterly common stock dividends declared by 9% to $0.12 per common share during the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to $0.11 per common share during the quarter ended March 31, 2026." Second Quarter Highlights Net interest margin improved eight basis points to 3.67% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 3.59% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Exclusive of the interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans and interest recoveries, adjusted net interest margin improved 11 basis points to 3.39% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 3.28% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Diluted earnings per common share were $0.61 for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to $0.77 for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Core diluted earnings per common share were $0.75 for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to $0.87 for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 included a $2.1 million reversal of credit losses. Return on average assets was 0.98% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 1.25% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Core return on average assets was 1.21% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 1.41% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 included a $2.1 million reversal of credit losses. The overall cost of funds, which includes noninterest-bearing deposits, decreased nine basis points to 2.31% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 2.40% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The overall cost of deposits, which includes noninterest-bearing deposits, decreased 11 basis points to 2.19% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 2.30% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Credit quality strengthened with nonperforming loans improving to 0.63% of total loans at June 30, 2026 compared to 0.66% at March 31, 2026. Total loans decreased by $7.9 million, or 0.3%, to $3.06 billion at June 30, 2026 compared to $3.07 billion at March 31, 2026. Excluding loans acquired from WFB, total loans increased by $56.0 million, or 2.6%, to $2.21 billion at June 30, 2026 compared to $2.16 billion at March 31, 2026. The business lending portfolio, which consists of loans secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate properties and commercial and industrial loans, increased by $43.8 million, or 3.8%, to $1.21 billion at June 30, 2026 compared to $1.17 billion at March 31, 2026. Variable-rate loans as a percentage of total loans was 50% at June 30, 2026 compared to 49% at March 31, 2026. Included in variable-rate loans are adjustable-rate mortgage loans we acquired in connection with our acquisition of WFB which generally have fixed interest rates for an initial period depending on the loan term. In accordance with our strategy to reduce wholesale funding, total deposits decreased by $18.9 million, or 0.6%, to $3.21 billion at June 30, 2026 compared to $3.23 billion at March 31, 2026. Excluding brokered time deposits, total deposits increased by $19.4 million, or 0.6%, to $3.15 billion at June 30, 2026 compared to $3.13 billion at March 31, 2026. Book value per common share increased to $28.29 at June 30, 2026, or 1.1% (4.4% annualized), compared to $27.97 at March 31, 2026. Tangible book value per common share increased to $23.09 at June 30, 2026, or 1.6% (6.4% annualized), compared to $22.72 at March 31, 2026. During the first half of 2026, Investar hired eight commercial bankers, four in our Texas markets and four in our Louisiana markets, to grow our community banking relationships including loans, deposits and treasury management services. In May 2026, Investar successfully completed the operational conversion of WFB onto our core system. Investar's regulatory total capital ratio increased to 14.99%, or 2.5%, at June 30, 2026 compared to 14.62% at March 31, 2026. Investar increased quarterly common stock dividends declared by 9% to $0.12 per common share during the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to $0.11 per common share during the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Investar repurchased 27,235 shares of its common stock through its stock repurchase program at an average price of $27.68 per share during the quarter ended June 30, 2026, leaving 300,741 shares authorized for repurchase under the program at June 30, 2026. Loans Total loans were $3.06 billion at June 30, 2026, a decrease of $7.9 million, or 0.3%, compared to March 31, 2026, and an increase of $953.5 million, or 45.3%, compared to June 30, 2025. On January 1, 2026, Investar closed its acquisition of WFB, headquartered in Wichita Falls, Texas, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, First National Bank, which increased total loans by $961.9 million. The following table sets forth the composition of the total loan portfolio as of the dates indicated (dollars in thousands). Construction and development loans totaled $261.8 million at June 30, 2026, a decrease of $57.1 million, or 17.9%, compared to $318.9 million at March 31, 2026, and an increase of $120.1 million, or 84.8%, compared to $141.7 million at June 30, 2025. The decrease in construction and development loans compared to March 31, 2026 was primarily due to planned run off of loans acquired from WFB, consisting of consumer mortgage and nonowner-occupied construction loans, and conversions to permanent loans upon completion of construction. The increase in construction and development loans compared to June 30, 2025 was primarily due to the acquisition of WFB, partially offset by planned run off of loans acquired from WFB, mostly consumer mortgage construction loans, and conversions to permanent loans upon completion of construction. 1-4 Family loans totaled $907.4 million at June 30, 2026, a decrease of $13.1 million, or 1.4%, compared to $920.5 million at March 31, 2026, and an increase of $519.6 million, or 134.0%, compared to $387.8 million at June 30, 2025. The decrease in 1-4 Family loans compared to March 31, 2026 was primarily due to loan amortization and payoffs that aligned with our strategy to allow consumer mortgage loans to run off and replace them with production in our business lending portfolio. The increase in 1-4 Family loans compared to June 30, 2025 was primarily due to the acquisition of WFB. Substantially all of the 1-4 Family loans acquired from WFB were consumer mortgage loans with an adjustable rate. At June 30, 2026, the Bank's total business lending portfolio, which consists of loans secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate properties and commercial and industrial loans, was $1.21 billion, an increase of $43.8 million, or 3.8%, compared to $1.17 billion at March 31, 2026, and an increase of $217.9 million, or 21.9%, compared to $993.6 million at June 30, 2025. The increase in the business lending portfolio compared to March 31, 2026 was primarily driven by increased commercial and industrial loan production. The increase in the business lending portfolio compared to June 30, 2025 was primarily driven by the acquisition of WFB and increased commercial and industrial loan production. Nonowner-occupied loans totaled $512.5 million at June 30, 2026, an increase of $7.7 million, or 1.5%, compared to $504.8 million at March 31, 2026, and an increase of $46.5 million, or 10.0%, compared to $466.0 million at June 30, 2025. The increase in nonowner-occupied loans compared to March 31, 2026 was primarily due to organic growth and conversions of construction and development loans to nonowner-occupied loans upon completion of construction, partially offset by loan amortization. The increase in nonowner-occupied loans compared to June 30, 2025 was primarily due to the acquisition of WFB. Credit Quality Nonperforming loans were $19.4 million, or 0.63% of total loans, at June 30, 2026, a decrease of $1.0 million compared to $20.4 million, or 0.66% of total loans, at March 31, 2026, and an increase of $11.9 million compared to $7.5 million, or 0.36% of total loans, at June 30, 2025. The decrease in nonperforming loans compared to March 31, 2026 was primarily attributable to paydowns and the transfer of a $1.3 million owner-occupied commercial real estate loan to other real estate owned, partially offset by the downgrade of nine 1-4 Family loan relationships totaling $3.4 million. The allowance for credit losses was $36.3 million, or 187.3% and 1.18% of nonperforming and total loans, respectively, at June 30, 2026, compared to $36.0 million, or 176.8% and 1.17% of nonperforming and total loans, respectively, at March 31, 2026, and $26.6 million, or 355.9% and 1.26% of nonperforming and total loans, respectively, at June 30, 2025. On January 1, 2026, Investar recorded an $11.7 million allowance for credit losses due to the acquisition of WFB. Investar recorded a provision for credit losses of $0.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to a reversal of credit losses of $2.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and a provision for credit losses of $0.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The provision for credit losses for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 was primarily due to adjustments to qualitative factors, partially offset by a decrease in total loans. The reversal of credit losses for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 was primarily due to a decrease in total loans during the quarter, changes in the economic forecast and the completion of our annual current expected credit loss allowance model recalibration. The provision for credit losses for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was primarily due to changes in the economic forecast and loan mix. Deposits Total deposits at June 30, 2026 were $3.21 billion, a decrease of $18.9 million, or 0.6%, compared to $3.23 billion at March 31, 2026, and an increase of $875.7 million, or 37.5%, compared to $2.34 billion at June 30, 2025. The acquisition of WFB increased total deposits by $1.02 billion on January 1, 2026, consisting of $187.9 million and $835.5 million of noninterest-bearing deposits and interest-bearing deposits, respectively. The following table sets forth the composition of deposits as of the dates indicated (dollars in thousands). The increase in interest-bearing demand deposits at June 30, 2026 compared to March 31, 2026 was primarily the result of organic growth. Brokered time deposits were $62.9 million at June 30, 2026 compared to $101.2 million at March 31, 2026 and $256.1 million at June 30, 2025. Investar utilizes brokered time deposits, entirely in denominations of less than $250,000, to secure fixed cost funding and reduce short-term borrowings. At June 30, 2026, the balance of brokered time deposits remained below 10% of total assets, and the remaining weighted-average duration was approximately four months with a weighted-average rate of 3.78%. We experienced growth in each deposit category, excluding brokered time deposits, compared to June 30, 2025 primarily as a result of the acquisition of WFB. Stockholders' Equity On July 1, 2025, Investar completed a private placement of 32,500 shares of its newly designated Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock ("Series A Preferred Stock") with selected institutional and other accredited investors at a price of $1,000 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $32.5 million. The net proceeds were $30.4 million, after deducting placement agent fees and other offering related expenses. Stockholders' equity was $420.1 million at June 30, 2026, an increase of $5.5 million compared to March 31, 2026, and an increase of $164.2 million compared to June 30, 2025. The increase in stockholders' equity compared to March 31, 2026 was primarily attributable to net income for the quarter, partially offset by an increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss due to a decrease in the fair value of the Bank's available for sale securities portfolio. The increase in stockholders' equity compared to June 30, 2025 was primarily attributable to the acquisition of WFB, the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, net income for the last twelve months and a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss due to an increase in the fair value of the Bank's available for sale securities portfolio. Net Interest Income Net interest income for the second quarter of 2026 totaled $33.4 million, an increase of $0.8 million, or 2.4%, compared to the first quarter of 2026, and an increase of $13.8 million, or 70.3%, compared to the second quarter of 2025. Total interest income was $53.2 million, $53.2 million and $35.4 million for the quarters ended June 30, 2026, March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025, respectively. Total interest expense was $19.8 million, $20.5 million and $15.7 million for the corresponding periods. Included in net interest income for the quarters ended June 30, 2026, March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025 was $2.5 million, $2.8 million and $6,000, respectively, of interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans. Also included in net interest income for the quarters ended June 30, 2026, March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025 were interest recoveries of $21,000, $7,000 and $19,000, respectively. Investar's net interest margin was 3.67% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared to 3.59% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and 3.03% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The increase in net interest margin for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2026 was driven by a nine basis point decrease in the overall cost of funds, partially offset by a three basis point decrease in the yield on interest-earning assets. The increase in net interest margin for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was driven by a 38 basis point increase in the yield on interest-earning assets and a 25 basis point decrease in the overall cost of funds. The yield on interest-earning assets was 5.83% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared to 5.86% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and 5.45% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The decrease in the yield on interest-earning assets compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2026 was primarily attributable to a 26 basis point decrease in the yield on the interest-bearing balances with banks, partially offset by an eight basis point increase in the investment securities portfolio. The increase in the yield on interest-earning assets compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was primarily attributable to a 34 basis point increase in the yield on the loan portfolio. Exclusive of the interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans and interest recoveries, adjusted net interest margin was 3.39% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared to 3.28% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and 3.02% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The adjusted yield on interest-earning assets was 5.55% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 5.54% and 5.44% for the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025, respectively. Refer to the Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures tables for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP metrics. During the second quarter of 2026, we changed the methodology used to calculate the overall cost of deposits and the overall cost of funds to include the impact of noninterest-bearing deposits. We have adjusted the corresponding prior period calculations to conform to the current period presentation. The overall cost of deposits, which includes noninterest-bearing deposits, decreased 11 basis points to 2.19% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 2.30% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and decreased 28 basis points compared to 2.47% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The decrease in the overall cost of deposits compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2026 resulted primarily from both a lower average balance of, and a decrease in rates paid on, brokered time deposits and time deposits and a decrease in rates paid on interest-bearing demand deposits partially offset by a higher average balance of interest-bearing demand deposits. The decrease in the overall cost of deposits compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025 resulted primarily from both a lower average balance of, and a decrease in rates paid on, brokered time deposits and a decrease in rates paid on time deposits, partially offset by both a higher average balance of, and an increase in rates paid on, interest-bearing demand deposits, and a higher average balance of time deposits. The cost of short-term borrowings decreased 20 basis points to 2.81% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to 3.01% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and decreased 32 basis points compared to 3.13% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The decrease in the cost of short-term borrowings for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025 resulted primarily from a lower current rate on short-term Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") advances and increased utilization of repurchase agreements. Average long-term debt increased $29.1 million and $68.1 million compared to the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025, respectively, to $153.6 million at June 30, 2026. The increase compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2026 resulted primarily from increased utilization of long-term FHLB advances. The increase compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was primarily due to the long-term debt acquired from WFB and increased utilization of long-term FHLB advances. The overall cost of funds, which includes the noninterest-bearing deposits, for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 decreased nine basis points to 2.31% compared to 2.40% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and decreased 25 basis points compared to 2.56% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The decrease in the cost of funds for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025 resulted primarily from a decrease in the overall cost of deposits and a decrease in the cost of short-term borrowings. Noninterest Income Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2026 totaled $3.1 million, an increase of $0.1 million, or 4.0%, compared to the first quarter of 2026 and an increase of $0.5 million, or 18.0%, compared to the second quarter of 2025. The increase in noninterest income compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2026 was primarily driven by a $0.1 million decrease in loss on sale of other real estate owned. The increase in noninterest income compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was primarily attributable to a $0.2 million increase in income from bank owned life insurance, a $0.1 million increase in interchange fees, a $0.1 million increase in service charges on deposit accounts, and a $0.1 million increase in change in fair value of equity securities, partially offset by a $0.1 million decrease in other operating income. The decrease in other operating income was primarily attributable to $0.3 million of income from insurance proceeds received for damages to a property recorded in other real estate owned in the second quarter of 2025, partially offset by a $0.1 million increase in distributions from other investments and a $0.1 million increase in wealth management income. Noninterest Expense Noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2026 totaled $24.7 million, an increase of $1.8 million, or 8.0%, compared to the first quarter of 2026, and an increase of $8.0 million, or 47.7%, compared to the second quarter of 2025. The increase in noninterest expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2026 was primarily driven by a $0.9 million increase in acquisition expense, a $0.5 million increase in salaries and employee benefits and a $0.4 million increase in other operating expense. The increase in acquisition expense was primarily due to the operational conversion of WFB completed in May 2026. The increase in salaries and employee benefits was primarily due to increases in salaries as part of our investment in our people and hiring commercial bankers and health insurance claims. The increase in other operating expense was primarily attributable to a $0.2 million increase in branch services, a $0.1 million increase in other real estate expense and a $0.1 million increase in collection and repossession expense. The increase in noninterest expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was primarily driven by a $3.2 million increase in salaries and employee benefits, a $2.4 million increase in acquisition expense, a $0.6 million increase in depreciation and amortization, a $0.5 million increase in professional fees, a $0.3 million increase in occupancy, a $0.3 million increase in data processing and a $0.7 million increase in other operating expense. The increases were primarily related to the acquisition of WFB on January 1, 2026. The increase in other operating expense was primarily attributable to a $0.4 million increase in branch services, a $0.2 million increase in FDIC assessments, a $0.2 million increase in software expense and a $0.1 million increase in telecommunications expense, partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease in other real estate expense and a $0.1 million decrease in bank shares taxes. Taxes Investar recorded income tax expense of $2.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, which equates to an effective tax rate of 18.4%, compared to effective tax rates of 19.4% and 17.2% for the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025, respectively. Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Investar reported basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.64 and $0.61, respectively, for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared to basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.84 and $0.77, respectively, for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.46 for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. About Investar Holding Corporation Investar, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, provides full banking services, excluding trust services, through its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Investar Bank, National Association. The Bank currently operates 36 branch locations serving Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama. At June 30, 2026, the Bank had 421 full-time equivalent employees and total assets of $3.9 billion. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or GAAP. These measures and ratios include "tangible common equity," "tangible assets," "tangible common equity to tangible assets," "tangible book value per common share," "core noninterest income," "core earnings before noninterest expense," "core noninterest expense," "core earnings before income tax expense," "core income tax expense," "core earnings," "core earnings available to common shareholders," "core efficiency ratio," "core return on average assets," "core return on average common equity," "core basic earnings per common share" and "core diluted earnings per common share." We also present certain average loan, yield, net interest income and net interest margin data adjusted to show the effects of excluding interest recoveries and interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide information useful to investors in understanding Investar's financial results, and Investar believes that its presentation, together with the accompanying reconciliations, provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting Investar's business and allows investors to view performance in a manner similar to management, the entire financial services sector, bank stock analysts and bank regulators. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for GAAP basis measures and results, and Investar strongly encourages investors to review its consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures disclosed in this press release to the comparable GAAP financial measures is included at the end of the financial statement tables. Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect Investar's current views with respect to, among other things, future events and financial performance, including the potential impacts of its strategies and the WFB transaction. Investar generally identifies forward-looking statements by terminology such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "could," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the historical performance of Investar and its subsidiaries or on Investar's current plans, estimates and expectations. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by Investar that the future plans, estimates or expectations by Investar will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions relating to Investar's operations, financial results, financial condition, business prospects, growth strategy and liquidity. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Investar's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, Investar's actual results may vary materially from those indicated in these statements. Investar does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following, any one or more of which could materially affect the outcome of future events: the significant risks and uncertainties for our business, results of operations and financial condition, as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios and other regulatory requirements caused by business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry in particular, whether nationally, regionally or in the markets in which we operate, including heightened uncertainties resulting from recent changing trade and tariff policies that could have an adverse impact on inflation and economic growth at least in the near term; changes in inflation, interest rates, yield curves and interest rate spread relationships that affect our loan and deposit pricing; our ability to successfully execute our strategy focused on consistent, quality earnings through the optimization of our balance sheet, and our ability to successfully execute a long-term growth strategy; our ability to achieve organic loan and deposit growth, and the composition of that growth; our ability to identify and enter into agreements to combine with attractive acquisition candidates, finance acquisitions, complete acquisitions after definitive agreements are entered into, and successfully integrate and grow acquired operations; our potential growth, including our entrance or expansion into new markets, and the need for sufficient capital to support that growth; a reduction in liquidity, including as a result of a reduction in the amount of deposits we hold or other sources of liquidity; inaccuracy of the assumptions and estimates we make in establishing reserves for credit losses and other estimates; changes in the quality or composition of our loan portfolio, including adverse developments in borrower industries or in the repayment ability of individual borrowers; changes in the quality and composition of, and changes in unrealized losses in, our investment portfolio, including whether we may have to sell securities before their recovery of amortized cost basis and realize losses; the extent of continuing client demand for the high level of personalized service that is a key element of our banking approach as well as our ability to execute our strategy generally; our dependence on our management team, and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the concentration of our business within our geographic areas of operation in Louisiana, Texas and Alabama; risks to holders of our common stock relating to our Series A Preferred Stock, including, but not limited to, dividend preferences to holders of the preferred stock, other conditions with respect to the payment of dividends on our common stock, potential dilution upon conversion of the preferred stock, and liquidation preferences to holders of the preferred stock; increasing costs of complying with new and potential future regulations; new or increasing geopolitical tensions, including resulting from conflicts and wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and Israel and surrounding areas or new areas; the emergence or worsening of widespread public health challenges or pandemics; concentration of credit exposure; any deterioration in asset quality and higher loan charge-offs, and the time and effort necessary to resolve problem assets; fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas; data processing system failures and errors; risks associated with our digital transformation process, including increased risks of cyberattacks and other security breaches and challenges associated with addressing the increased prevalence of artificial intelligence; risks of losses resulting from increased fraud attacks against us and others in the financial services industry; potential impairment of our goodwill and other intangible assets; the impact of litigation and other legal proceedings to which we become subject; competitive pressures in the commercial finance, retail banking, mortgage lending and consumer finance industries, as well as the financial resources of, and products offered by, competitors; the impact of changes in laws and regulations applicable to us, including banking, securities and tax laws and regulations and accounting standards, as well as changes in the interpretation of such laws and regulations by our regulators; changes in the scope and costs of FDIC insurance and other coverages; governmental monetary and fiscal policies; and hurricanes, tropical storms, tropical depressions, floods, winter storms, droughts and other adverse weather events, all of which have affected Investar's market areas from time to time; other natural disasters; oil spills and other man-made disasters; acts of terrorism; other international or domestic calamities; acts of God; and other matters beyond our control. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Additional information on these and other risk factors can be found in Part I Item 1A. "Risk Factors" and in the "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Investar's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For further information contact: Investar Holding CorporationCorey MooreExecutive Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer(225) [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/investar-holding-corporation-announces-2026-second-quarter-results-302829060.html

BATON ROUGE, La., June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Investar Holding Corporation (the "Company") (Nasdaq: ISTR), the holding company of Investar Bank, National Association (the "Bank"), declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share to holders of the Company's common stock. The dividend is payable on July 31, 2026 to shareholders of record as of June 30, 2026. This represents a 9% increase in the dividend per share compared to the prior quarter and is the 51st quarterly dividend paid by the Company, which follows an uninterrupted 11 quarterly cash dividends paid by the Bank. Additionally, the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $16.25 per share, which is the full quarterly dividend of 1.625% based on the per annum rate of 6.5%, to holders of the Company's 6.5% Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock. The dividend is payable on July 1, 2026 to shareholders of record as of June 15, 2026. About Investar Holding Corporation Investar Holding Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, provides full banking services, excluding trust services, through its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Investar Bank, National Association. The Bank currently operates 36 branch locations serving Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama. At March 31, 2026, the Bank had 431 full-time equivalent employees and total assets of $3.9 billion. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may include forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions about our business that are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those described in this press release. You should not rely on forward-looking statements as a prediction of future events. Additional information regarding factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in any forward-looking statements are described in reports and registration statements we file with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, copies of which are available on the Investar website at www.investarbank.com. We disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any forward-looking statement may be based except as required by law. Contact: Investar Holding CorporationCorey MooreExecutive Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer(225) [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/investar-holding-corporation-declares-quarterly-common-and-preferred-stock-cash-dividends-302803638.html

Investar (ISTR) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.87 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.69 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.64 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +26.09%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this holding company for Investar Bank would post earnings of $0.54 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.58, delivering a surprise of +7.41%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Investar, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Southeast industry, posted revenues of $35.64 million for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.62%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $20.36 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Investar shares have added about 7.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.1%. While Investar has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Investar was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.78 on $37.71 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $3.20 on $149.61 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Southeast is currently in the top 26% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the same industry, United Bankshares (UBSI), is yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. This holding company for United Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.85 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +44.1%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. United Bankshares' revenues are expected to be $315.61 million, up 8.7% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Bankshares, Inc. (UBSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

BATON ROUGE, LA / ACCESS Newswire / April 20, 2026 / Investar Holding Corporation ("Investar") (NASDAQ:ISTR), the holding company for Investar Bank, National Association (the "Bank"), today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Investar reported net income available to common shareholders of $11.5 million, or $0.77 per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2026, compared to net income available to common shareholders of $5.4 million, or $0.51 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, and net income available to common shareholders of $6.3 million, or $0.63 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. On a non-GAAP basis, core earnings per diluted common share for the first quarter of 2026 were $0.87 compared to $0.58 for the fourth quarter of 2025, and $0.65 for the first quarter of 2025. Core earnings available to common shareholders excludes certain items including, but not limited to, gain on call or sale of investment securities, net; loss on sale or disposition of fixed assets, net; loss on sale of other real estate owned, net; change in the fair value of equity securities; change in the net asset value of other investments; severance; and acquisition expense (refer to the Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures tables for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP metrics). Investar's President and Chief Executive Officer John D'Angelo commented: "I am extremely pleased with our first quarter results, which reflect both the significant impact of our transformational acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares, Inc. and our simultaneous continued execution of our strategy of consistent, quality earnings through the optimization of our balance sheet. Both of these are due to the hard work of our dedicated employees. Our net interest margin improved substantially to 3.59%, a 39 basis point increase from previous quarter, and we had significant improvements in our diluted earnings per share, return on average assets and efficiency ratio. We were able to grow the yield on interest-earning assets while simultaneously reducing our funding costs. Our decision over the past year to keep duration short on our liabilities provided us with the flexibility to secure lower cost funding that was accretive to our net interest margin by allowing higher cost brokered time deposits to run off and replacing them with lower cost, non-maturing deposits. Additionally, variable rate loans comprised 49% of our loan portfolio at quarter end. As always, we remain focused on shareholder value and returning capital to shareholders. We repurchased 53,420 shares of our common stock during the first quarter at an average price of $28.63." First Quarter Highlights On January 1, 2026, Investar closed its acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares, Inc. ("WFB"), headquartered in Wichita Falls, Texas, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, First National Bank. On the date of the acquisition, WFB had $1.2 billion in total assets, including $1.0 billion in gross loans, and $1.0 billion in deposits. In the aggregate, WFB's shareholders received merger consideration consisting of $7.2 million in cash and 3,955,272 shares of Investar's common stock for an aggregate transaction value of $112.9 million. Net interest margin improved 39 basis points to 3.59% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 3.20% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Exclusive of the interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans and interest recoveries, adjusted net interest margin improved eight basis points to 3.28% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 3.20% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Diluted earnings per common share were $0.77 for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to $0.51 for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Core diluted earnings per common share were $0.87 for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to $0.58 for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Return on average assets increased to 1.25% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 0.83% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Core return on average assets improved to 1.41% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 0.93% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Efficiency ratio improved to 64.08% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 69.34% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Core efficiency ratio improved to 58.46% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 66.13% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. The yield on the loan portfolio increased to 6.28% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 5.99% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. The overall cost of funds for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 decreased four basis points to 2.94% compared to 2.98% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. The cost of deposits decreased six basis points to 2.85% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 2.91% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. Total loans increased by $891.8 million, or 41.0%, to $3.07 billion at March 31, 2026 compared to $2.18 billion at December 31, 2025. Variable-rate loans as a percentage of total loans was 49% at March 31, 2026 compared to 38% at December 31, 2025. Book value per common share increased to $27.97 at March 31, 2026, or 1.2%, compared to $27.63 at December 31, 2025. Tangible book value per common share decreased to $22.72 at March 31, 2026, or 3.0%, compared to $23.42 at December 31, 2025, which represents minimal dilution related to our acquisition of WFB. Total deposits increased by $882.6 million, or 37.6%, to $3.23 billion at March 31, 2026 compared to $2.35 billion at December 31, 2025. Investar repurchased 53,420 shares of its common stock through its stock repurchase program at an average price of $28.63 per share during the quarter ended March 31, 2026, leaving 327,976 shares authorized for repurchase under the program at March 31, 2026. Loans Total loans were $3.07 billion at March 31, 2026, an increase of $891.8 million, or 41.0%, compared to December 31, 2025, and an increase of $961.2 million, or 45.6%, compared to March 31, 2025. We experienced growth in each loan category primarily as a result of the acquisition of WFB. The following table sets forth the composition of the total loan portfolio as of the dates indicated (dollars in thousands). At March 31, 2026, the Bank's total business lending portfolio, which consists of loans secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate properties and commercial and industrial loans, was $1.17 billion, an increase of $112.3 million, or 10.6%, compared to $1.06 billion at December 31, 2025, and an increase of $207.0 million, or 21.5%, compared to $960.7 million at March 31, 2025. The increase in the business lending portfolio compared to December 31, 2025 was primarily driven by the acquisition of WFB, partially offset by loan amortization. The increase in the business lending portfolio compared to March 31, 2025 was primarily driven by the acquisition of WFB and increased commercial and industrial loan production. Nonowner-occupied loans totaled $504.8 million at March 31, 2026, an increase of $52.6 million, or 11.6%, compared to $452.1 million at December 31, 2025, and an increase of $22.9 million, or 4.7%, compared to $481.9 million at March 31, 2025. The increase in nonowner-occupied loans compared to December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025 was primarily due to the acquisition of WFB, partially offset by loan amortization and payoffs that aligned with our continued strategy to optimize and de-risk the mix of the portfolio. Construction and development loans totaled $318.9 million at March 31, 2026, an increase of $170.9 million, or 115.5%, compared to $148.0 million at December 31, 2025, and an increase of $169.6 million, or 113.6%, compared to $149.3 million at March 31, 2025. The increase in construction and development loans compared to December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025 was primarily due to the acquisition of WFB. Credit Quality Nonperforming loans were $20.3 million, or 0.66% of total loans, at March 31, 2026, an increase of $11.0 million compared to $9.3 million, or 0.43% of total loans, at December 31, 2025, and an increase of $14.7 million compared to $5.6 million, or 0.27% of total loans, at March 31, 2025. The increase in nonperforming loans compared to December 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to one primarily owner-occupied commercial real estate relationship totaling $6.6 million and nonperforming loans acquired from WFB totaling $3.2 million. The allowance for credit losses was $36.0 million, or 177.0% and 1.17% of nonperforming and total loans, respectively, at March 31, 2026, compared to $26.3 million, or 284.5% and 1.21% of nonperforming and total loans, respectively, at December 31, 2025, and $26.4 million, or 473.3% and 1.25% of nonperforming and total loans, respectively, at March 31, 2025. On January 1, 2026, Investar recorded an $11.7 million allowance for credit losses due to the acquisition of WFB. Investar recorded a reversal of credit losses of $2.1 million, $0.1 million and $3.6 million, respectively, for each of the quarters ended March 31, 2026, December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025. The reversal of credit losses in the quarter ended March 31, 2026 was primarily due to a decrease in total loans during the quarter, changes in the economic forecast and the completion of our annual current expected credit loss allowance model recalibration. The reversal of credit losses in the quarter ended December 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to changes in the economic forecast and loan mix. The reversal of credit losses for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 was primarily due to net recoveries of $3.4 million, primarily due to a $3.3 million property insurance settlement related to a loan relationship that became impaired in the third quarter of 2021 as a result of Hurricane Ida. Deposits Total deposits at March 31, 2026 were $3.23 billion, an increase of $882.6 million, or 37.6%, compared to $2.35 billion at December 31, 2025, and an increase of $885.5 million, or 37.7%, compared to $2.35 billion at March 31, 2025. The following table sets forth the composition of deposits as of the dates indicated (dollars in thousands). The increase in noninterest-bearing demand deposits, interest-bearing demand deposits and money market deposits at March 31, 2026 compared to December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025 was primarily the result of the acquisition of WFB and organic growth. The increase in time deposits at March 31, 2026 compared to December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025 was primarily the result of the acquisition of WFB, partially offset by the run-off of higher yielding time deposits. Brokered time deposits were $101.2 million at March 31, 2026 compared to $204.1 million at December 31, 2025 and $244.9 million at March 31, 2025. Investar utilizes brokered time deposits, entirely in denominations of less than $250,000, to secure fixed cost funding and reduce short-term borrowings. At March 31, 2026, the balance of brokered time deposits remained below 10% of total assets, and the remaining weighted-average duration was approximately five months with a weighted-average rate of 3.94%. Stockholders' Equity On July 1, 2025, Investar completed a private placement of 32,500 shares of its newly designated Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock ("Series A Preferred Stock") with selected institutional and other accredited investors at a price of $1,000 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $32.5 million. The net proceeds were $30.4 million, after deducting placement agent fees and other offering related expenses. Stockholders' equity was $414.6 million at March 31, 2026, an increase of $113.6 million compared to December 31, 2025, and an increase of $162.9 million compared to March 31, 2025. The increase in stockholders' equity compared to December 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to the acquisition of WFB, and net income for the quarter, partially offset by an increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss due to a decrease in the fair value of the Bank's available for sale securities portfolio. The increase in stockholders' equity compared to March 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to the acquisition of WFB, the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, net income for the last twelve months and a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss due to an increase in the fair value of the Bank's available for sale securities portfolio. Net Interest Income Net interest income for the first quarter of 2026 totaled $32.7 million, an increase of $11.0 million, or 51.0%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, and an increase of $14.3 million, or 78.0%, compared to the first quarter of 2025. Total interest income was $53.2 million, $37.1 million and $34.4 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2026, December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025, respectively. Total interest expense was $20.5 million, $15.5 million and $16.1 million for the corresponding periods. Included in net interest income for the quarters ended March 31, 2026, December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025 was $2.8 million, $6,000 and $9,000, respectively, of interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans. Also included in net interest income for the quarters ended March 31, 2026, December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025 were interest recoveries of $7,000, $1,000 and $50,000, respectively. Investar's net interest margin was 3.59% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to 3.20% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 and 2.87% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase in net interest margin for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2025 was driven by a 37 basis point increase in the yield on interest-earning assets and a four basis point decrease in the overall cost of funds. The increase in net interest margin for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025 was driven by a 47 basis point increase in the yield on interest-earning assets and a 28 basis point decrease in the overall cost of funds, primarily brokered time deposits, time deposits and short-term borrowings. The yield on interest-earning assets was 5.86% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to 5.49% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 and 5.39% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase in the yield on interest-earning assets compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to a 29 basis point increase in the yield on the loan portfolio. The increase in the yield on interest-earning assets compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to a 40 basis point increase in the yield on the loan portfolio. Exclusive of the interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans and interest recoveries, adjusted net interest margin was 3.28% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to 3.20% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 and 2.86% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The adjusted yield on interest-earning assets was 5.54% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 5.49% and 5.38% for the quarters ended December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025, respectively. Refer to the Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures tables for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP metrics. The cost of deposits decreased six basis points to 2.85% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to 2.91% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 and decreased 30 basis points compared to 3.15% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The decrease in the cost of deposits compared to the quarters ended December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025 resulted primarily from both a lower average balance of, and a decrease in rates paid on, brokered time deposits and a decrease in rates paid on time deposits, partially offset by both a higher average balance of, and an increase in rates paid on, interest-bearing demand deposits, and a higher average balance of time deposits. The cost of short-term borrowings was flat at 3.01% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2025 and decreased 55 basis points compared to 3.56% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The decrease in the cost of short-term borrowings for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025 resulted primarily from a lower current rate on short-term Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") advances. Average long-term debt increased $30.0 million and $39.0 million compared to the quarters ended December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025, respectively, to $124.5 million at March 31, 2026 primarily due to the long-term debt acquired from WFB and increased utilization of long-term FHLB advances. The overall cost of funds for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 decreased four basis points to 2.94% compared to 2.98% for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 and decreased 28 basis points compared to 3.22% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The decrease in the cost of funds for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2025 resulted primarily from a decrease in the cost of deposits, discussed above, partially offset by a higher average balance of deposits and increases in the average balance and cost of long-term debt. The decrease in the cost of funds for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025 resulted primarily from a decrease in the cost of deposits partially offset by higher average balances of deposits and long-term debt, discussed above. Noninterest Income Noninterest income for the first quarter of 2026 totaled $3.0 million, an increase of $1.1 million, or 61.8%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 and an increase of $1.0 million, or 48.2%, compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase in noninterest income compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2025 was primarily driven by a $0.2 million increase in interchange fees, a $0.1 million increase in service charges on deposit accounts, and a $0.7 million increase in other operating income. The increase in other operating income was primarily attributable to a $0.4 million increase in change in net asset value of other investments, a $0.1 million increase in distributions from other investments and a $0.1 million increase in wealth management income. The increase in noninterest income compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to a $0.2 million increase in interchange fees, a $0.2 million increase in service charges on deposit accounts, a $0.2 million increase in change in fair value of equity securities, and a $0.3 million increase in other operating income. The increase in other operating income was primarily attributable to a $0.1 million increase in distributions from other investments and a $0.1 million increase in wealth management income. Noninterest Expense Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2026 totaled $22.8 million, an increase of $6.6 million, or 40.3%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, and an increase of $6.6 million, or 40.7%, compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase in noninterest expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2025 was primarily driven by a $2.9 million increase in salaries and employee benefits, a $1.3 million increase in acquisition expense, a $0.7 million increase in depreciation and amortization, a $0.4 million increase in data processing, a $0.3 million increase in occupancy, and a $0.7 million increase in other operating expense. The increases were primarily related to the acquisition of WFB on January 1, 2026. The increase in salaries and employee benefits was primarily driven by an increase in employees and $0.3 million of severance recorded during the first quarter of 2026. The increase in other operating expense was primarily attributable to a $0.4 million increase in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") assessments, a $0.1 million increase in telecommunications expense and a $0.1 million increase in software expense. The increase in noninterest expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025 was primarily driven by a $3.3 million increase in salaries and employee benefits, a $1.6 million increase in acquisition expense, a $0.6 million increase in depreciation and amortization, a $0.3 million increase in occupancy, a $0.3 million increase in data processing and a $0.2 million increase in other operating expense. The increases were primarily related to the acquisition of WFB on January 1, 2026. The increase in other operating expense was primarily attributable to a $0.2 million increase in FDIC assessments. Taxes Investar recorded income tax expense of $2.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, which equates to an effective tax rate of 19.4%, compared to effective tax rates of 18.3% and 18.4% for the quarters ended December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025, respectively. Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Investar reported basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.84 and $0.77, respectively, for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.55 and $0.51, respectively, for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, and basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.64 and $0.63, respectively, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. About Investar Holding Corporation Investar, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, provides full banking services, excluding trust services, through its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Investar Bank, National Association. The Bank currently operates 36 branch locations serving Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama. At March 31, 2026, the Bank had 431 full-time equivalent employees and total assets of $3.9 billion. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or GAAP. These measures and ratios include "tangible common equity," "tangible assets," "tangible common equity to tangible assets," "tangible book value per common share," "core noninterest income," "core earnings before noninterest expense," "core noninterest expense," "core earnings before income tax expense," "core income tax expense," "core earnings," "core earnings available to common shareholders," "core efficiency ratio," "core return on average assets," "core return on average common equity," "core basic earnings per common share" and "core diluted earnings per common share." We also present certain average loan, yield, net interest income and net interest margin data adjusted to show the effects of excluding interest recoveries and interest income accretion from the acquisition of loans. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide information useful to investors in understanding Investar's financial results, and Investar believes that its presentation, together with the accompanying reconciliations, provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting Investar's business and allows investors to view performance in a manner similar to management, the entire financial services sector, bank stock analysts and bank regulators. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for GAAP basis measures and results, and Investar strongly encourages investors to review its consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures disclosed in this press release to the comparable GAAP financial measures is included at the end of the financial statement tables. Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect Investar's current views with respect to, among other things, future events and financial performance, including the potential impacts of its strategies and the WFB transaction. Investar generally identifies forward-looking statements by terminology such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "could," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the historical performance of Investar and its subsidiaries or on Investar's current plans, estimates and expectations. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by Investar that the future plans, estimates or expectations by Investar will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions relating to Investar's operations, financial results, financial condition, business prospects, growth strategy and liquidity. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Investar's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, Investar's actual results may vary materially from those indicated in these statements. Investar does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following, any one or more of which could materially affect the outcome of future events: the significant risks and uncertainties for our business, results of operations and financial condition, as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios and other regulatory requirements caused by business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry in particular, whether nationally, regionally or in the markets in which we operate, including heightened uncertainties resulting from recent changing trade and tariff policies that could have an adverse impact on inflation and economic growth at least in the near term; changes in inflation, interest rates, yield curves and interest rate spread relationships that affect our loan and deposit pricing; our ability to successfully execute our strategy focused on consistent, quality earnings through the optimization of our balance sheet, and our ability to successfully execute a long-term growth strategy; our ability to achieve organic loan and deposit growth, and the composition of that growth; our ability to identify and enter into agreements to combine with attractive acquisition candidates, finance acquisitions, complete acquisitions after definitive agreements are entered into, and successfully integrate and grow acquired operations; our potential growth, including our entrance or expansion into new markets, and the need for sufficient capital to support that growth; a reduction in liquidity, including as a result of a reduction in the amount of deposits we hold or other sources of liquidity; inaccuracy of the assumptions and estimates we make in establishing reserves for credit losses and other estimates; changes in the quality or composition of our loan portfolio, including adverse developments in borrower industries or in the repayment ability of individual borrowers; changes in the quality and composition of, and changes in unrealized losses in, our investment portfolio, including whether we may have to sell securities before their recovery of amortized cost basis and realize losses; the extent of continuing client demand for the high level of personalized service that is a key element of our banking approach as well as our ability to execute our strategy generally; our dependence on our management team, and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the concentration of our business within our geographic areas of operation in Louisiana, Texas and Alabama; risks to holders of our common stock relating to our Series A Preferred Stock, including, but not limited to, dividend preferences to holders of the preferred stock, other conditions with respect to the payment of dividends on our common stock, potential dilution upon conversion of the preferred stock, and liquidation preferences to holders of the preferred stock; increasing costs of complying with new and potential future regulations; new or increasing geopolitical tensions, including resulting from conflicts and wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and Israel and surrounding areas or new areas; the emergence or worsening of widespread public health challenges or pandemics; concentration of credit exposure; any deterioration in asset quality and higher loan charge-offs, and the time and effort necessary to resolve problem assets; fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas; data processing system failures and errors; risks associated with our digital transformation process, including increased risks of cyberattacks and other security breaches and challenges associated with addressing the increased prevalence of artificial intelligence; risks of losses resulting from increased fraud attacks against us and others in the financial services industry; potential impairment of our goodwill and other intangible assets; the impact of litigation and other legal proceedings to which we become subject; competitive pressures in the commercial finance, retail banking, mortgage lending and consumer finance industries, as well as the financial resources of, and products offered by, competitors; the impact of changes in laws and regulations applicable to us, including banking, securities and tax laws and regulations and accounting standards, as well as changes in the interpretation of such laws and regulations by our regulators; changes in the scope and costs of FDIC insurance and other coverages; governmental monetary and fiscal policies; and hurricanes, tropical storms, tropical depressions, floods, winter storms, droughts and other adverse weather events, all of which have affected Investar's market areas from time to time; other natural disasters; oil spills and other man-made disasters; acts of terrorism; other international or domestic calamities; acts of God; and other matters beyond our control. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Additional information on these and other risk factors can be found in Part I Item 1A. "Risk Factors" and in the "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Investar's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For further information contact: Investar Holding Corporation Corey Moore Executive Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (225) 227-2348 [email protected] INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Amounts in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) (1) Non-GAAP financial measure. See reconciliation. (2) Efficiency ratio represents noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income (before provision for credit losses) and noninterest income. INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Unaudited) (1) Non-GAAP financial measure. See reconciliation. (2) Estimated for March 31, 2026. INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Amounts in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Amounts in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET, INTEREST EARNED AND YIELD ANALYSIS (Amounts in thousands) (Unaudited) INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES INTEREST EARNED AND YIELD ANALYSIS ADJUSTED FOR INTEREST RECOVERIES AND ACCRETION (Amounts in thousands) (Unaudited) INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Amounts in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) INVESTAR HOLDING CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Amounts in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) (1) All core results and core metrics for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 exclude $0.2 million of acquisition expense incurred during that quarter related to the WFB transaction. Those expenses were included in other operating expenses in the first quarter 2025 disclosures. (2) Reversal of credit losses, net interest income after reversal of credit losses, core earnings before noninterest expense, core noninterest expense, core earnings before income tax expense, core earnings and core earnings available to common shareholders include a $3.3 million recovery of loans previously charged off due to a property insurance settlement related to a loan relationship that became impaired in the third quarter of 2021 as a result of Hurricane Ida and $0.2 million in related noninterest expense recorded during the quarter ended March 31, 2025. Excluding the $3.1 million favorable impact on pre-tax net income, core basic earnings per share, core diluted earnings per share, core efficiency ratio, core return on average assets, and core return on average equity were $0.40, $0.40, 77.75%, 0.59%, and 6.46%, respectively, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. (3) Change in net asset value of other investments represents unrealized gains or losses on Investar's investments in Small Business Investment Companies and other investment funds included in other operating income in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. (4) Severance is included in salaries and employee benefits in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. (5) Core income tax expense is calculated using the effective tax rates of 19.4%, 18.3% and 18.4% for the quarters ended March 31, 2026, December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025, respectively. (6) Core earnings used in calculation. No adjustments were made to total average assets. (7) Core earnings available to common shareholders used in calculation. No adjustments were made to total average common stockholders' equity. SOURCE: Investar Holding Corporation View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Chemung Financial (CHMG) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.91 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.63 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.26 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +17.18%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this financial holding company would post earnings of $1.6 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.61, delivering a surprise of +0.63%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. Chemung Financial, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Southeast industry, posted revenues of $29.9 million for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.31%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $25.71 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Chemung Financial shares have added about 6.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 2.9%. While Chemung Financial has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Chemung Financial was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.70 on $31.1 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.75 on $125.8 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Southeast is currently in the top 22% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Another stock from the same industry, Investar (ISTR), has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. This holding company for Investar Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.69 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +7.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Investar's revenues are expected to be $36.6 million, up 79.8% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chemung Financial Corp (CHMG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

F.N.B. (FNB) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.38 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate . This compares to earnings of $0.32 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -0.52%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this financial holding company would post earnings of $0.41 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.5, delivering a surprise of +21.95%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. F.N.B., which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Southeast industry, posted revenues of $450.26 million for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.97%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $411.61 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. F.N.B. shares have added about 4.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 2.6%. While F.N.B. has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for F.N.B. was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.42 on $469.1 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.71 on $1.9 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Southeast is currently in the top 25% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Another stock from the same industry, Investar (ISTR), has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. This holding company for Investar Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.69 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +7.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Investar's revenues are expected to be $36.6 million, up 79.8% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report F.N.B. Corporation (FNB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Hancock Whitney (HWC) reports results for the quarter ended March 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on April 21. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. This holding company of Whitney Bank and Hancock Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.48 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +7.3%. Revenues are expected to be $389.02 million, up 6.7% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.33% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). For Hancock Whitney, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -4.05%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Hancock Whitney will beat the consensus EPS estimate. While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Hancock Whitney would post earnings of $1.48 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.49, delivering a surprise of +0.68%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times. An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Hancock Whitney doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Investar (ISTR), another stock in the Zacks Banks - Southeast industry, is expected to report earnings per share of $0.69 for the quarter ended March 2026. This estimate points to a year-over-year change of +7.8%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $36.6 million, up 79.8% from the year-ago quarter. Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Investar has remained unchanged. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of -4.35%, reflecting a lower Most Accurate Estimate. This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Investar will beat the consensus EPS estimate. The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Hancock Whitney Corporation (HWC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research