UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Or

Commission file number 001-36434

FIRST MID BANCSHARES, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

(217) 234-7454

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

NONE

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. ☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. ☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days .Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, "smaller reporting company” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) ☐ Yes ☒ No

The aggregate market value of the outstanding common stock, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the Registrant, as of the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $899,341,799. Determination of stock ownership by non-affiliates was made solely for the purpose of responding to this requirement and the Registrant is not bound by this determination for any other purpose.

As of February 27, 2026, 24,082,479 shares of the Registrant’s common stock, $4.00 par value, were outstanding.

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Company and Subsidiaries

First Mid Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”), is a financial holding company. The Company is engaged in the business of banking through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Mid Bank & Trust, N.A. (“First Mid Bank”). The Company offers insurance products and services to customers through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Mid Insurance Group, Inc. (“First Mid Insurance”). The Company offers trust, farm services, investment services, and retirement planning through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Mid Wealth Management Company. The Company also wholly owns a captive insurance company, First Mid Captive, Inc. Through First Mid Bank, the Company owns an investment subsidiary, First Mid Investments, Inc. In addition, the Company wholly owns five statutory business trusts, First Mid-Illinois Statutory Trust II (“First Mid Trust II”), Clover Leaf Statutory Trust I ("CLST Trust"), FBTC Statutory Trust I ("FBTCST I"), Blackhawk Statutory Trust I (BHST I), and Blackhawk Statutory Trust II (BHST II) all of which are unconsolidated subsidiaries of the Company. On August 15, 2023, the Company acquired Blackhawk Bank, which was merged into First Mid Bank on December 1, 2023. During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, the Company acquired Mid Rivers Insurance Group, Inc. which was subsequently merged into First Mid Insurance.

The Company, a Delaware corporation, was incorporated on September 8, 1981, and pursuant to the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) became the holding company owning all of the outstanding stock of First National Bank, Mattoon (“First National”) on June 1, 1982. First National changed its name to First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust, N.A. in 1992, and subsequently changed its name to First Mid Bank & Trust, N.A. in 2019. The Company has also acquired all the outstanding stock of a number of community banks or thrift institutions, and subsequently combined their operations with those of the Company and First Mid Bank.

Human Capital

The Company is committed to building a workplace that attracts, develops, and retains top talent. The culture is grounded in six core values: Integrity, Motivation, Professionalism, Accountability, Commitment, and Teamwork. These values guide how we operate and support an engaging employee experience that encourages career growth, fulfillment, and long term success.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion begins with the Board of Directors, which provides oversight of our culture and holds management accountable to build and maintain a diverse and inclusive environment. Creating and maintaining a work environment where every employee is treated with dignity and respect is fundamental to ensuring they can fully focus on performing their jobs to the best of their ability. The Company recognizes that its success depends on continually strengthening its culture of inclusion, where all employees feel valued and empowered to contribute.

Talent Engagement

For the past eight years, the Company has partnered with a trusted industry leader to conduct an annual employee engagement survey. In 2025, 98% of employees participated, providing strong confidence that the results accurately reflect meaningful employee feedback and highlight genuine areas for improvement.

To celebrate outstanding contributions, the Company’s CEO sponsors the annual Chairman’s Award for Excellence. This prestigious award allows employees to nominate peers who have consistently exceeded expectations or achieved exceptional results while exemplifying the Company’s core values.

The CEO also hosts a quarterly all-employee call to keep the workforce informed about Company updates and strategic initiatives. During these calls, employees are encouraged to submit questions in advance for management to address which fosters open communication and transparency. A cherished tradition of these calls is the recognition of top-performing employees, both for their achievements at work and their positive impact in the communities the Company serves.

Talent Development

The Company supports the personal and professional development of its employees through a variety of initiatives. Employees are offered tuition reimbursement of up to $3,500 annually for eligible educational courses, empowering them to pursue continued education and skill development. Additionally, all employees complete annual regulatory training tailored to their specific job functions, through a partnership with a third-party provider. To further enhance learning, employees have access to a robust library of career development content within the Company’s online learning management system.

Development opportunities also include a job-shadowing program, allowing employees to observe and experience other roles within the organization. This program helps employees explore potential career paths, identify roles that align with their goals, and gain a broader understanding of the Company. Together, these initiatives reflect the Company’s ongoing commitment to fostering employee growth and supporting their career advancement.

The Company offers a range of professional development training to support job-specific skills, leadership growth, and compliance requirements. One example is The Banker Basics Mentor Program, designed to develop its frontline employees. In this program, experienced team members are selected by management to mentor and train new hires, focusing on core systems, customer service, and transaction processing. New employees spend their first ten days working one-on-one with a peer, gaining valuable on-the-job learning and support.

To enhance leadership skills, the Company implemented the Leadership Development Training: New to Manager Role program. This training equips managers with essential skills in hiring, coaching, holding crucial conversations, and driving employee engagement. Additionally, the Company provides advanced leadership training based on the principles outlined in the book The Leadership Pipeline. This interactive program targets executive, upper, and mid-level management, emphasizing the importance of coaching and mentoring team members. The purpose of this engaging program is to educate leaders that their role is to coach and mentor their team members. Regular one-on-one meetings with purposeful conversations is an expectation because it leads to better results and engagement of their team. After the

formal training, participants deepen their learning through six months of follow-up cohort meetings, guided by the CEO and CHRO. In 2025, the Company further supported leadership growth by training almost fifty managers through its Leader of Leaders and Leader of Others programs.

Lastly, succession planning is conducted annually for the Company’s most senior leaders and high impact roles. The process includes identifying potential successors for different positions and assessing their readiness level to fill the role should it become vacant. Management focuses on intentional development with activities needed to prepare the employee for the next level.

Total Rewards

The Company is committed to enhancing employees’ overall experience by offering a competitive total rewards package, including compensation and benefits, designed to support and reward their contributions. In 2025, the Company prioritized its workforce by making meaningful investments to ensure ongoing competitiveness in the market. For compensation, the Company increased the starting rate of pay an additional $1.00 per hour, for the third consecutive year, positively impacting many entry level employees. Additionally, market pay adjustments were implemented for employees with 3 years of tenure or more and a certain performance score, helping to address wage compression and bring their pay closer to the midpoint of the salary range. All salary ranges were increased by 4%, providing employees with even greater opportunities for growth and earning potential within their roles. In addition, the Company provided more than a hundred hourly and salaried employees with spot bonuses in recognition of work on significant projects as well as the core system conversion. To further support employees, the Company enhanced its benefits by promoting health and financial well-being. A chronic condition management program was introduced at no cost to employees and their covered dependents enrolled in our medical plans, providing valuable resources to manage their health effectively.

The Company continues to offer a wide array of benefits for its employees including:

Encouraging Volunteerism

The Company invests in and contributes to the growth and development of its communities. The Commitment to the Communities program encourages employees to be engaged in the communities where they live and work. In 2025, the Company’s employees volunteered 18,685 hours to organizations in their communities, compared to 22,321 hours in 2024. The Company also encourages employees to serve in leadership roles in these organizations as part of their professional development. Approximately, 38% of the Company’s workforce contributed to its annual United Way campaign and contributed an impressive $80,000. The Company matches 100% of those donations in the sequent year which resulted in a total contribution to the United Way of over $165,000 back to our communities in 2025.

Business Strategies

Vision Statement. The Company’s vision statement is to be a nimble, independent, community-focused financial organization committed to quality, growth and earned independence for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Growth Strategy. The Company believes that growth of revenues and its customer base is vital to the goal of increasing the value of its shareholders’ investment. The Company strives to create shareholder value by maintaining a strong balance sheet and increasing profits.

Management attempts to grow in two primary ways:

Virtually all of the Company’s customer-contact personnel, in each of its business lines, are engaged in organic growth efforts to one degree or another. These personnel attempt to match products and services with the particular financial needs of individual customers and prospective customers. Many senior officers of the organization are required to attend monthly meetings where they report on their business development efforts and results. Executive management uses these meetings as an educational and risk management opportunity as well. Cross-selling opportunities are encouraged and measured between the business lines.

Within the community banking line, the Company has focused on a variety of lending and deposit services products that meet the needs of the communities it serves. The Company has achieved significant growth in these areas. Total commercial real estate loans have increased from $1.7 billion at December 31, 2021 to $2.6 billion at December 31, 2025. Approximately 74% of the Company’s total revenues were derived from lending activities in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. The Company has also focused on growing its commercial and retail deposit base through growth in checking, money markets and customer repurchase agreement balances. The wealth management line has focused its growth efforts on estate planning and investment services for individuals and employee benefit services for businesses as well as, farm management and brokerage services. The insurance brokerage line has focused on increasing property and casualty, senior insurance products and group medical insurance for businesses and personal lines insurance to individuals.

Growth through acquisitions has been an integral part of the Company’s strategy for an extended period of time. When reviewing acquisition possibilities, the Company focuses on those organizations where there is a cultural fit with its existing operations and where there is a strong likelihood of building shareholder value.

Customer Strategy. The Company uses its market and customer knowledge to build relationships that provide high-value customer experiences that continually improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Employee Strategy. The Company strives for employee engagement at all levels of the organization. The judgments, experiences and capabilities of these employees are used to create an environment where meeting the needs of our customer, communities and stockholders is always a priority.

Strategy for Operations and Infrastructure. Operationally, the Company centralizes most administrative and operational tasks within its home office in Mattoon, Illinois. This allows branches to maintain customer focus, helps assure compliance with banking regulations, keeps fixed administrative costs at as low a level as practicable, and allows for better management of risk inherent in the business. The Company also utilizes technology where practicable in daily banking activities to reduce the potential for human error. While the Company does not employ every new technology that is introduced, it attempts to be competitive with other banking organizations with respect to operational and customer technology.

Shareholder Strategy. The Company strives to provide a competitive dividend as well as the opportunity for stock price appreciation.

Risk Management Strategy. The Company maintains a comprehensive risk management framework. The Company has initiated an Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) process whereby management assesses the relevant risks inherent in the business, determines internal controls and procedures are in place to address the various risks, develops a structure for monitoring and reporting risk indicators and trends over time, and incorporates action plans to manage risk positions. The ERM process was not undertaken as a result of any weaknesses or deficiencies identified during the Company’s control assessments but rather is part of the Company’s effort to continually assess and improve by taking a more holistic approach to risk management. The Company's Chief Risk Officer is responsible for facilitating the ERM process. The Company utilizes a comprehensive set of operational policies and procedures that have been developed over time. These policies are continually reviewed by management, the Chief Risk Officer, and the Board of Directors. The Company’s internal audit function completes procedures to verify compliance with these policies. While there are several risks that pertain to the business of banking, three risks that are inherent with most banking companies are credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk.

In the business of banking, credit risk is an important risk as losses from uncollectible loans can diminish capital, earnings and shareholder value. In order to address this risk, the lending function of First Mid Bank receive significant oversight from executive management and the Board of Directors. An important element of credit risk management is the quality, experience and training of the loan officers. The Company has invested, and will continue to invest, significant resources to ensure the quality, experience and training of our loan officers in order to keep credit losses to a minimum. In addition to the human element of credit risk management, the Company’s loan policies address the additional aspects of credit risk. Most lending personnel have signature authority that allows them to lend up to a certain amount

based on their own judgment as to the creditworthiness of a borrower. The amount of the signature authority is based on the lending officers’ experience and training. The Senior Loan Committee, consisting of the senior management, must approve all underwriting decisions in excess of $10 million and up to $30 million. The Board of Directors must approve all underwriting decisions in excess of $30 million. The legal lending limit for First Mid Bank was $136.5 million at December 31, 2025. While the underlying nature of lending will result in some amount of credit losses, First Mid's credit loss experience has been good with average net charge offs amounting to $3.1 million (0.06% of total loans) over the past five years. Nonperforming loans were $31.9 million (0.53% of total loans) at December 31, 2025. These percentages have historically compared well with peer financial institutions and continue to do so today.

Interest rate and liquidity risk are two other forms of risk embedded in the banking business. The Company’s Asset Liability Management Committee, consisting of experienced individuals, from various departments, who monitor all aspects of interest rates and maturities of interest earning assets and interest paying liabilities, manages these risks. The underlying objectives of interest rate and liquidity risk management are to shelter the Company’s net interest margin from changes in interest rates while maintaining adequate liquidity reserves to meet unanticipated funding demands. The Company uses financial modeling technology as a tool for evaluating these risks. Despite the tools and methods used to monitor this risk, a sustained unfavorable interest rate environment can lead to some amount of compression in the net interest margin. For 2025, the Company’s net interest margin on a tax-effected basis increased to 3.70% as of December 31, 2025 from 3.34% in December 31, 2024 primarily due to continued focus on loan pricing on new and renewed loans, continued efforts to increase the performance of the investment portfolio, and a decrease in funding costs.

Markets and Competition

The Company has active competition in all areas in which First Mid Bank does business. First Mid Bank competes for commercial and individual deposits and loans with many Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and Texas banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions. The principal methods of competition in the banking and financial services industry are quality of services to customers, ease of access to facilities, on-line services and pricing of services, including interest rates paid on deposits, interest rates charged on loans, and fees charged for fiduciary and other banking services.

During 2025, First Mid Bank operated branches in the Illinois counties of Adams, Boone, Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Jackson, Jefferson, Kane, Knox, Lawrence, Macon, Madison, McHenry, McLean, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Saline, St. Clair, Wabash, White, Williamson, and Winnebago, Missouri counties of Boone, Camden, Cole, Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis, Wisconsin county of Rock, and the Texas county of Tarrant. Each branch primarily serves the community in which it is located. First Mid Bank served sixty different communities with fifty-four separate locations in Illinois, eighteen locations in Missouri, three locations in Wisconsin, one location in Texas, and one office in Indiana dedicated for agency finance and loan production.

Website

The Company maintains a website at www.firstmid.com. All periodic and current reports of the Company and amendments to these reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) can be accessed, free of charge, through this website and at www.sec.gov as soon as reasonably practicable after these materials are filed with the SEC.

Blackhawk Bancorp, Inc.

On March 20, 2023, the Company and Eagle Sub LLC, a newly formed Wisconsin limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Blackhawk Merger Agreement”) with Blackhawk Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (“Blackhawk”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Company agreed to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Blackhawk pursuant to a business combination whereby Blackhawk merged with and into Merger Sub, whereupon the separate corporate existence of Blackhawk ceased and Merger Sub continued as the surviving company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Blackhawk Merger”).

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Blackhawk Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Blackhawk Merger, each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Blackhawk issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Blackhawk Merger (other than shares held in treasury by Blackhawk and dissenting shares) were converted into and became the right to receive 1.15 shares of common stock, par value $4.00 per share, of the Company and cash in lieu of fractional shares, less any applicable taxes required to be withheld, and subject to certain potential adjustments. On an aggregate basis, the total consideration payable by the Company at the closing of the Blackhawk Merger to Blackhawk’s shareholders and equity award holders was 3,290,222 shares of Company common stock valued at $93.51 million and $1,928 of cash in lieu of fractional shares.

The Blackhawk Merger closed August 15, 2023 and Blackhawk Bank was merged into First Mid Bank on December 1, 2023.

Supervision and Regulation General

Financial institutions, financial services companies, and their holding companies are extensively regulated under federal and state law. As a result, the growth and earnings performance of the Company can be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the requirements of applicable state and federal statutes and regulations and the policies of various governmental regulatory authorities including, but not limited to, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”), the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities. Any change in applicable laws, regulations or regulatory policies may have material effects on the business, operations and prospects of the Company and First Mid Bank. The Company is unable to predict the nature or extent of the effects that fiscal or monetary policies, economic controls or new federal or state legislation may have on its business and earnings in the future.

Federal and state laws and regulations generally applicable to financial institutions and financial services companies, such as the Company and its subsidiaries, regulate, among other things, the scope of business, investments, reserves against deposits, capital levels relative to operations, the nature and amount of collateral for loans, the establishment of branches, mergers, consolidations and dividends. The system of supervision and regulation applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries establishes a comprehensive framework for their respective operations and is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund and the depositors, rather than the stockholders, of financial institutions.

The following references to material statutes and regulations affecting the Company and its subsidiaries are brief summaries thereof and do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to such statutes and regulations. Any change in applicable law or regulations may have a material effect on the business of the Company and its subsidiaries.

Financial Modernization Legislation

The 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (the “GLB Act”) significantly changed financial services regulation by expanding permissible non-banking activities of bank holding companies and removing certain barriers to affiliations among banks, insurance companies, securities firms and other financial services entities. These activities and affiliations can be structured through a holding company structure or, in the case of many of the activities, through a financial subsidiary of a bank. The GLB Act also established a system of federal and state regulation based on functional regulation, meaning that primary regulatory oversight for a particular activity generally resides with the federal or state regulator having the greatest expertise in the area. Banking is supervised by banking regulators, insurance by state insurance regulators and securities activities by the SEC and state securities regulators. The GLB Act also requires the disclosure of agreements reached with community groups that relate to the Community Reinvestment Act, and contains various other provisions designed to improve the delivery of financial services to consumers while maintaining an appropriate level of safety in the financial services industry.

The GLB Act repealed the anti-affiliation provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act and revised the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the “BHCA”) to permit qualifying holding companies, called “financial holding companies,” to engage in, or to affiliate with companies engaged in, a full range of financial activities, including banking, insurance activities (including insurance portfolio investing), securities activities, merchant banking and additional activities that are “financial in nature,” incidental to financial activities or, in certain circumstances, complementary to financial activities. A bank holding company’s subsidiary banks must be “well-capitalized” and “well-managed” and have at least a “satisfactory” Community Reinvestment Act rating for the bank holding company to elect and maintain its status as a financial holding company.

A significant component of the GLB Act’s focus on functional regulation relates to the application of federal securities laws and SEC oversight of some bank securities activities previously exempt from broker-dealer registration. Among other things, the GLB Act amended the definitions of “broker” and “dealer” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to remove the blanket exemption for banks. Under the GLB Act, banks may conduct securities activities without broker-dealer registration only if the activities fall within a set of activity-based exemptions designed to allow banks to conduct only those activities traditionally considered to be primarily banking or trust activities.

Securities activities outside these exemptions, as a practical matter, need to be conducted by a registered broker-dealer affiliate. The GLB Act also amended the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to require the registration of banks that act as investment advisers for mutual funds. The Company believes that it has taken the necessary actions to comply with these requirements of the GLB Act and the regulations adopted under them.

Anti-Terrorism Legislation

The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 included the International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001 (the “IMLAFA”). The IMLAFA contains anti-money laundering measures affecting insured depository institutions, broker-dealers, and certain other financial institutions. The IMLAFA requires U.S. financial institutions to adopt policies and procedures to combat money laundering and grants the Secretary of the Treasury broad authority to establish regulations and to impose requirements and restrictions on financial institutions’ operations. The Company has established policies and procedures for compliance with the IMLAFA and the related regulations. The Company has designated an officer solely responsible for ensuring compliance with existing regulations and monitoring changes to the regulations as they occur.

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) was signed into law on July 21, 2010. Generally, the Act is effective the day after it was signed into law, but different effective dates apply to specific sections of the law. The Act, among other things:

Basel III

In September 2010, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision proposed higher global minimum capital standards, including a minimum Tier 1 common capital ratio and additional capital and liquidity requirements. On July 2, 2013, the Federal Reserve Board approved a final rule to implement these reforms and changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act. This final rule was subsequently adopted by the OCC and the FDIC.

The final rule includes revised risk-based capital and leverage ratios. The minimum capital level requirements applicable to the Company and First Mid Bank are: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%, plus a 2.5% “capital conservation buffer”, for effectively a minimum requirement of 7%; (ii) a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6%, plus a 2.5% “capital conservation buffer”, for effectively a minimum requirement of 8.5%; (iii) a total capital ratio of 8%, plus a 2.5% “capital conservation buffer”, for effectively a minimum requirement of 10.5%; and (iv) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4%. An institution is subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount.

Relevant to the Company, the final rule permanently grandfathered into Tier 1 capital of depository institution holding companies with total consolidated assets of less than $15 billion as of December 31, 2009 any trust preferred securities or cumulative perpetual preferred stock issued before May 19, 2010.

The Company

General. As a registered financial holding company under the BHCA that has elected to become a financial holding company under the GLB Act, the Company is subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board. In accordance with Federal Reserve Board policy, the Company is expected to act as a source of financial strength to First Mid Bank and to commit resources to support First Mid Bank in circumstances where the Company might not do so absent such policy. The Company is subject to inspection, examination, and supervision by the Federal Reserve Board.

Activities. As a financial holding company, the Company may affiliate with securities firms and insurance companies and engage in other activities that are financial in nature or incidental or complementary to activities that are financial in nature. A bank holding company that is not also a financial holding company is limited to engaging in banking and such other activities as determined by the Federal Reserve Board to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto.

No Federal Reserve Board approval is required for the Company to acquire a company (other than a bank holding company, bank, or savings association) engaged in activities that are financial in nature or incidental to activities that are financial in nature, as determined by the Federal Reserve Board. However, the Company generally must give the Federal Reserve Board after-the-fact notice of these activities. Prior Federal Reserve Board approval is required before the Company may acquire beneficial ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares or substantially all of the assets of a bank holding company, bank, or savings association.

If any subsidiary bank of the Company ceases to be “well-capitalized” or “well-managed” under applicable regulatory standards, the Federal Reserve Board may, among other actions, order the Company to divest its depository institution. Alternatively, the Company may elect to conform its activities to those permissible for a bank holding company that is not also a financial holding company.

If any subsidiary bank of the Company receives a rating under the Community Reinvestment Act of less than “satisfactory”, the Company will be prohibited, until the rating is raised to “satisfactory” or better, from engaging in new activities or acquiring companies other than bank holding companies, banks, or savings associations.

Capital Requirements. Bank holding companies are required to maintain minimum levels of capital in accordance with Federal Reserve Board capital adequacy guidelines. The Federal Reserve Board’s capital guidelines establish the following minimum regulatory capital requirements for bank holding companies, which include the full phase in of the “capital conservation buffer”: a total capital to total risk-based capital ratio of not less than 10.5%, a Tier 1 risk-based ratio of not less than 8.5%, a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of not less than 7%, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of not less than 4%. For purposes of these capital standards, Tier 1 capital consists primarily of permanent stockholders’ equity, less intangible assets (other than certain mortgage servicing rights and purchased credit card relationships), and total capital means Tier 1 capital plus certain other debt and equity instruments which do not qualify as Tier 1 capital, limited amounts of unrealized gains on equity securities and a portion of the Company’s allowance for credit losses.

The risk-based and leverage standards described above are minimum requirements, and higher capital levels will be required if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual banking organizations. For example, the Federal Reserve Board’s capital guidelines contemplate that additional capital may be required to take adequate account of, among other things, interest rate risk, or the risks posed by concentrations of credit, nontraditional activities or securities trading activities. Further, any banking organization experiencing or anticipating significant growth would be expected to maintain capital ratios, including tangible capital positions (i.e., Tier 1 capital less all intangible assets), well above the minimum levels.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company had regulatory capital, calculated on a consolidated basis, in excess of the Federal Reserve Board’s minimum requirements, and its capital ratios exceeded those required for categorization as well-capitalized under the capital adequacy guidelines established by bank regulatory agencies with a total risk-based capital ratio of 15.67%, a Tier 1 risk-based ratio of 13.55%, a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 13.16% and a leverage ratio of 11.07%.

Control Acquisitions. The Change in Bank Control Act prohibits a person or group of people from acquiring “control” of a bank holding company unless the Federal Reserve Board has been notified and has not objected to the transaction. Under a rebuttable presumption established by the Federal Reserve Board, the acquisition of 10% or more of a class of voting stock of a bank holding company with a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as

amended, such as the Company, would, under the circumstances set forth in the presumption, constitute acquisition of control of the Company. In addition, any company is required to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board under the BHCA before acquiring 25% (5% in the case of an acquirer that is a bank holding company) or more of the outstanding common of the Company, or otherwise obtaining control of a “controlling influence” over the Company or First Mid Bank.

Interstate Banking and Branching. The Dodd-Frank Act expands the authority of banks to engage in interstate branching. The Dodd-Frank Act allows a state or national bank to open a de novo branch in another state if the law of the state where the branch is to be located would permit a state bank chartered by that state to open the branch.

Privacy and Security. The GLB Act establishes a minimum federal standard of financial privacy by, among other provisions, requiring banks to adopt and disclose privacy policies with respect to consumer information and setting forth certain rules with respect to the disclosure to third parties of consumer information. The Company has adopted and disseminated its privacy policies pursuant to the GLB Act. Regulations adopted under the GLB Act set standards for protecting the security, confidentiality, and integrity of customer information, and require notice to regulators, and in some cases, to customers, in the event of security breaches. A number of states have adopted their own statutes requiring notification of security breaches. In addition, the GLB Act requires the disclosure of agreements reached with community groups that relate to the CRA, and contains various other provisions designed to improve the delivery of financial services to consumers while maintaining an appropriate level of safety in the financial services industry.

First Mid Bank

General. First Mid Bank is a national bank, chartered under the National Bank Act. The FDIC insures the deposit accounts of the banks. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System and is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the OCC, as the primary federal regulator of national banks, and the FDIC, as administrator of the deposit insurance fund.

Deposit Insurance. As an FDIC-insured institution, banks are required to pay deposit insurance premium assessments to the FDIC. A number of requirements with respect to the FDIC insurance system have affected results, including insurance assessment rates.

The Company expensed $3.5 million, $3.5 million and $3.3 million for its insurance assessment during 2025, 2024, and 2023 respectively.

OCC Assessments. All national banks are required to pay supervisory fees to the OCC to fund the operations of the OCC. The amount of such supervisory fees is based upon each institution’s total assets, including consolidated subsidiaries, as reported to the OCC. During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 the Company expensed supervisory fees totaling $661,000, $774,000, and $703,000, respectively. Changes in total expense are due to changes in assessment rates and increases in total assets of First Mid Bank.

Capital Requirements. The banking regulators established the following minimum capital standards for banks, which include the full phase in of the “capital conservation buffer”: a total capital to total risk-based capital ratio of not less than 10.5%, a Tier 1 risk-based ratio of not less than 8.5%, a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of not less than 7%, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of not less than 4%. For purposes of these capital standards, Tier 1 capital and total capital consists of substantially the same components as Tier 1 capital and total capital under the Federal Reserve Board’s capital guidelines for bank holding companies (See “The Company—Capital Requirements”).

The capital requirements described above are minimum requirements. Higher capital levels will be required if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual institutions. For example, the banking regulators provide that additional capital may be required to take adequate account of, among other things, interest rate risk or the risks posed by concentrations of credit, nontraditional activities, or securities trading activities.

During the year ended December 31, 2025, First Mid Bank was not required to increase capital to an amount in excess of the minimum regulatory requirements, and capital ratios exceeded those required for categorization as well-capitalized under the capital adequacy guidelines established by bank regulatory agencies. First Mid Bank's total risk-based capital ratio was 14.47%, Tier 1 risk-based ratio was 13.29%, common equity Tier 1 ratio was 13.29% and leverage ratio was 10.88%.

Prompt Corrective Action. Federal law provides the federal banking regulators with broad power to take prompt corrective action to resolve the problems of undercapitalized institutions. The extent of the regulators’ powers depends on whether the institution in question is “well-capitalized,” “adequately- capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized.” Depending upon the capital category to which an institution is assigned, the regulators’ corrective powers include: requiring the submission of a capital restoration plan; placing limits on asset growth and restrictions on activities; requiring the institution to issue additional capital stock (including additional voting stock) or to be acquired; restricting transactions with affiliates; restricting the interest rate the institution may pay on deposits; ordering a new election of directors of the institution; requiring that senior executive officers or directors be dismissed; prohibiting the institution from accepting deposits from correspondent banks; requiring the institution to divest certain subsidiaries; prohibiting the payment of principal or interest on subordinated debt; and in the most severe cases, appointing a conservator or receiver for the institution.

Dividends. The National Bank Act impose limitations on the amount of dividends that may be paid by a bank. Generally, a bank may pay dividends out of its undivided profits, in such amounts and at such times as the bank’s board of directors deems prudent. Without prior OCC approval, however, a national bank may not pay dividends in any calendar year which, in the aggregate, exceed the bank’s year-to-date net income plus the bank’s adjusted retained net income for the two preceding years.

The payment of dividends by any financial institution or its holding company is affected by the requirement to maintain adequate capital pursuant to applicable capital adequacy guidelines and regulations, and a financial institution generally is prohibited from paying any dividends if, following payment thereof, the institution would be undercapitalized. As described above, First Mid Bank exceeded minimum capital requirements under applicable guidelines as of December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $54.5 million was available to be paid as dividends to the Company by First Mid Bank. Notwithstanding the availability of funds for dividends, however, the OCC may prohibit the payment of any dividends if the OCC, as applicable, determines that such payment would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice.

Affiliate and Insider Transactions. First Mid Bank is subject to certain restrictions under federal law, including Regulation W of the Federal Reserve Board, on extensions of credit to the Company and its subsidiaries, on investments in the stock or other securities of the Company and its subsidiaries and the acceptance of the stock or other securities of the Company or its subsidiaries as collateral for loans. Certain limitations and reporting requirements are also placed on extensions of credit by First Mid Bank to its directors and officers, to directors and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries, to principal stockholders of the Company, and to “related interests” of such directors, officers, and principal stockholders.

First Mid Bank is subject to restrictions under federal law that limits certain transactions with the Company, including loans, other extensions of credit, investments, or asset purchases. Such transactions by a banking subsidiary with any one affiliate are limited in amount to 10% of the bank’s capital and surplus and, with all affiliates together, to an aggregate of 20% of the bank’s capital and surplus. Furthermore, such loans and extensions of credit, as well as certain other transactions, are required to be secured in specified amounts. These and certain other transactions, including any payment of money to the Company, must be on terms and conditions that are or in good faith would be offered to nonaffiliated companies.

In addition, federal law and regulations may affect the terms upon which any person becoming a director or officer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries or a principal stockholder of the Company may obtain credit from banks with which First Mid Bank maintains a correspondent relationship.

Safety and Soundness Standards. The federal banking agencies have adopted guidelines that establish operational and managerial standards to promote the safety and soundness of federally insured depository institutions. The guidelines set forth standards for internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits, asset quality and earnings. In general, the guidelines prescribe the goals to be achieved in each area, and each institution is responsible for establishing its own procedures to achieve those goals. If an institution fails to comply with any of the standards set forth in the guidelines, the institution’s primary federal regulator may require the institution to submit a plan for achieving and maintaining compliance. The preamble to the guidelines states that the agencies expect to require a compliance plan from an institution whose failure to meet one or more of the guidelines are of such severity that it could threaten the safety and soundness of the institution. Failure to submit an acceptable plan, or failure to comply with a plan that has been accepted by the appropriate federal regulator, would constitute grounds for further enforcement action.

Community Reinvestment Act. First Mid Bank is subject to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The CRA and the regulations issued thereunder are intended to encourage banks to help meet the credit needs of their service areas, including low and moderate income neighborhoods, consistent with the safe and sound operations of the banks. These regulations also provide for regulatory assessment of a bank’s record in meeting the needs of its service area when considering applications to establish branches, merger applications and applications to acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of another bank. The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 requires federal banking agencies to make public a rating of a bank’s performance under the CRA. In the case of a bank holding company, the CRA performance record of its bank subsidiaries is reviewed by federal banking agencies in connection with the filing of an application to acquire ownership or control of shares or assets of a bank or thrift or to merge with any other bank holding company. An unsatisfactory record can substantially delay or block the transaction. First Mid Bank received satisfactory CRA ratings from its regulator in its most recent CRA examination.

Consumer Laws and Regulations. In addition to the laws and regulations discussed above, First Mid Bank is also subject to certain consumer laws and regulations that are designed to protect consumers in transactions with banks. While the list set forth herein is not exhaustive, these laws and regulations include the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, among others. These laws and regulations mandate certain disclosure requirements and regulate the manner in which financial institutions must deal with customers when taking deposits, making loans to or marketing to or engaging in other types of transactions with such customers. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could lead to substantial penalties, operating restrictions, and reputational damage to the financial institution.

Supplemental Item – Executive Officers of the Registrant

The executive officers of the Company are elected annually by the Company’s Board of Directors and are identified below.

Joseph R. Dively, age 66, has been with the Company since 2011. He has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since January 2014. He was the President of the Company from January 2014 to June 2025. Prior to assuming these positions in the Company, he was the Senior Executive Vice President of the Company beginning in May 2011.

Matthew K. Smith, age 51, has been with the Company since 2016. He has been President of the Company since June 2025. He served as Executive Vice President of the Company since November 2016 and Chief Financial Officer of the Company from July 2017 to June 2025. He was Treasurer and Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations with Consolidated Communications, Inc from 1997 to 2016 and with Marine Bank prior.

Michael L. Taylor, age 57, has been with the Company since 2000. He has been Senior Executive Vice President of the Company since 2014 and Chief Operating Officer of the Company since July 2017. He served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company from 2000 to 2017. He served as Executive Vice President of the Company from 2007 to 2014.

Jordan D. Read, age 36, has been with the Company since 2021. He has been Executive Vice President of the Company since January 2024 and Chief Financial Officer of the Company since June 2025, and Chief Risk Officer of the Company since August 2021. He was Director of Internal Audit of Enterprise Bank & Trust from 2018 to 2021.

Eric S. McRae, age 60, has been with the Company since 1999. He has been Executive Vice President of the Company since 2008. He has been Chief Lending Officer of the Company since January 2022.

Bradley L. Beesley, age 54, has been with the Company since 2007. He has been Executive Vice President of the Company and Chief Wealth Management Officer of the Company since 2015. He has been Chief Executive Officer and President of First Mid Wealth Management Company since 2018.

Clay M. Dean, age 51, has been with the Company since 2010. He has been Executive Vice President of the Company since January 2019 and Chief Insurance Services Officer of the Company since 2015. He has severed as Chief Executive Officer and President of First Mid Insurance since September 2014.

Amanda D. Lewis, age 46, has been with the Company since 2001. She has been Executive Vice President of the Company since January 2019 and Chief Operations Officer for the Company since July 2023. She served as Senior Vice President of the Company from 2014 to 2019.

Rhonda R. Gatons, age 54, has been with the Company since 2016. She has been Executive Vice President of the Company since April of 2022 and Chief Human Resources Officer of the Company since March 2016. Prior to joining the Company, she was the Director of Human Resources at Midland States Bank.

Stas R. Wolak, age 49, has been with the Company since 2024. He has been Executive Vice President and the Chief Retail Banking Officer of the Company since February 2024. Prior to joining the Company, he was the Sales and Client Experience Director at PNC Bank from 2013 to 2023.

Jason M. Crowder, age 55, has been with the Company since 2019. He has been Executive Vice President of the Company since April 2025 and General Counsel of the Company since August 2019. Prior to joining the Company, he was the Corporate Counsel of Petersen Health Care, Inc., from 2008 to July 2019, and an attorney at Heller, Holmes & Associates from 1996 to 2008.

Megan E. McElwee, age 38, has been with the Company since 2011. She has been Executive Vice President of the Company since April 2025 and Chief Credit Officer of the Company since January 2022.

Regina P. Nelson, age 55, has been with the Company since 2025. She has been Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the Company since November 2025. Prior to joining the Company, she was a Vice President and Director of Consumer Marketing Strategy at Commerce Bank.

Anya Y. Schuetz, age 51, has been with the Company since 2013. She has been Senior Vice President of the Company since February 2023 and Director of Project Management of the Company since January 2013.

Jeremy R. Frieburg, age 45, has been with the Company since 2024. He has been Senior Vice President and the Chief Information Officer of the Company since February 2024. Prior to joining the Company, he was a Chief Information Officer for INB, N.A. from 2021 to 2024.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Various risks and uncertainties, some of which are difficult to predict and beyond the Company’s control, could negatively impact the Company. As a financial institution, the Company is exposed to credit risk, interest rate and liquidity risk, operational risk, risks from economic and market conditions, and general business risks among others. Adverse experience with these or other risks could have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, as well as the value of its common stock.

Credit Risks

Loan customers or other counterparties may not be able to perform their contractual obligations resulting in a negative impact on the Company’s earnings. Overall economic conditions affecting businesses and consumers, including the current economic conditions and market disruptions, could impact the Company’s credit losses. In addition, real estate valuations could also impact the Company’s credit losses as the Company maintains $4.1 billion in loans secured by commercial, agricultural, and residential real estate. A significant decline in real estate values could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the Company’s total loan balances by industry exceeded 25% of total risk-based capital for each of four industries as of December 31, 2025. A

listing of these industries is contained in under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations -- Loans” herein. A significant change in one of these industries such as a significant decline in agricultural crop prices, could adversely impact the Company’s credit losses.

Deterioration in the real estate market could lead to losses, which could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations or the Company. Commercial and commercial real estate loans generally involve higher credit risks than residential real estate and consumer loans. Because payments on loans secured by commercial real estate or equipment are often dependent upon the successful operation and management of the underlying assets, repayment of such loans may be influenced to a great extent by conditions in the market or the economy. Increases in commercial and consumer delinquency levels or declines in real estate market values would require increased net charge-offs and increases in the allowance for credit losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and prospects.

The allowance for credit losses may prove inadequate or be negatively affected by credit risk exposures. The Company’s business depends on the creditworthiness of its customers. Management periodically reviews the allowance for loan and lease losses for adequacy considering economic conditions and trends, collateral values, and credit quality indicators, including past charge-off experience and levels of past due loans and nonperforming assets. There is no certainty that the allowance for credit losses will be adequate over time to cover credit losses in the portfolio because of unanticipated adverse changes in the economy, market conditions or events adversely affecting specific customers, industries, or markets. If the credit quality of the customer base materially decreases, if the risk profile of a market, industry or group of customers changes materially, or if the allowance for credit losses is not adequate, the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, capital, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

The Company depends on the accuracy and completeness of information furnished by and on behalf of our customers and counterparties. In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions, the Company may rely on information furnished by or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial statements, credit reports, and other financial information. The Company may also rely on representations of those customers, counterparties, or other third parties, such as independent auditors, as to the accuracy and completeness of that information. Reliance on inaccurate or misleading financial statements, credit reports, or other financial information could cause the Company to enter into unfavorable transactions, which could have a material adverse effect on financial condition and results of operations.

Interest Rate and Liquidity Risks

Changes in interest rates may negatively affect our earnings. Changes in market interest rates and prices may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. The Company’s net interest income, its largest source of revenue, is highly dependent on achieving a positive spread between the interest earned on loans and investments and the interest paid on deposits and borrowings. Changes in interest rates could negatively impact the Company’s ability to attract deposits, make loans, and achieve a positive spread resulting in compression of the net interest margin.

Declines in the value of securities held in the investment portfolio may negatively affect the Company’s earnings and capital. The value of an investment in the portfolio could decrease due to changes in market factors. The market value of certain investment securities is volatile and future declines or other-than-temporary impairments could materially adversely affect the Company’s future earnings and capital. Continued volatility in the market value of certain investment securities, whether caused by changes in market perceptions of credit risk, as reflected in the expected market yield of the security, or actual defaults in the portfolio could result in significant fluctuations in the value of the securities. This could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive loss and shareholders’ equity depending upon the direction of the fluctuations.

Furthermore, future downgrades or defaults in these securities could result in future classifications as other-than-temporarily impaired. The Company has invested in trust preferred securities issued by financial institutions and insurance companies, corporate securities of financial institutions, and stock in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Deterioration of the financial stability of the underlying financial institutions for these investments could result in other-than-temporary impairment charges to the Company and could have a material impact on future earnings. For further discussion of the Company’s investments, see Note 4 – “Investment Securities.”

The Company may not have sufficient cash or access to cash to satisfy current and future financial obligations, including demands for loans and deposit withdrawals, funding operating costs and for other corporate purposes. This type of liquidity risk arises whenever the maturities of financial instruments included in assets and liabilities differ. The Company’s liquidity can be affected by a variety of factors, including general economic conditions, market disruption, operational problems affecting third parties or the Company, unfavorable pricing, competition, the Company’s credit rating and regulatory restrictions. (See “Liquidity” herein for management’s actions to mitigate this risk.)

If the Company were unable to borrow funds through access to capital markets, it may not be able to meet the cash flow requirements of its depositors, creditors, and borrowers, or the operating cash needed to fund corporate expansion and other corporate activities. As seen starting in the middle of 2007, significant turmoil and volatility in worldwide financial markets can result in a disruption in the liquidity of financial markets and could directly impact the Company to the extent it needs to access capital markets to raise funds to support its business and overall liquidity position. These types of situations could affect the cost of such funds or the Company’s ability to raise such funds. If the Company were unable to access any of these funding sources when needed, it might be unable to meet customers’ needs, which could adversely impact its financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and level of regulatory-qualifying capital. For further discussion, see the “Liquidity” section.

Operational Risks

A failure in or breach of the Company's operational or security systems, or those of its third-party service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks, could disrupt the Company's business, result in unintentional disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, damage the Company's reputation, increase our costs, and cause losses. As a financial institution, the Company's operations rely heavily on the secure processing, storage, and transmission of confidential and other information on its computer systems and networks. Any failure, interruption or breach in security or operational integrity of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in the Company's online banking system, customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit and loan servicing and other systems. The security and integrity of these systems could be threatened by a variety of interruptions or information security breaches, including those

caused by computer hacking, cyber-attacks, electronic fraudulent activity, or attempted theft of financial assets. Management cannot assert that any such failures, interruption or security breaches will not occur, or if they do occur that they will be adequately addressed. While certain protective policies and procedures are in place, the nature and sophistication of the threats continue to evolve. The Company may be required to expend significant additional resources in the future to modify and enhance these protective measures.

Additionally, the Company faces the risk of operational disruption, failure, termination, or capacity constraints of any of the third parties that facilitate its business activities, including exchanges, clearing agents, clearing houses or other financial intermediaries. Such parties could also be the source of an attack on, or breach of, its operational systems. Any failures, interruptions or security breaches in the Company's information systems could damage its reputation, result in a loss of customer business, result in a violation of privacy or other laws, or expose us to civil litigation, regulatory fines or losses not covered by insurance.

If the Company’s stock price declines from levels at December 31, 2025, management will evaluate the goodwill balance for impairment, and if the values of the business has declined, the Company could recognize an impairment charge for its goodwill. Management performed its annual goodwill impairment assessment as of September 30, 2025. Based on these analyses, management concluded that the fair value of the Company’s reporting units exceeded the fair value of its assets and liabilities and, therefore, goodwill was not considered impaired. It is possible that management’s assumptions and conclusions regarding the valuation of the Company’s lines of business could change adversely, which could result in the recognition of impairment for goodwill, which could have a material effect on the Company’s financial position and future results of operations.

Human error, inadequate or failed internal processes and systems, and external events may have adverse effects on the Company. Operational risk includes compliance or legal risk, which is the risk of loss from violations of, or noncompliance with, laws, rules, regulations, prescribed practices, or ethical standards. Operational risk also encompasses transaction risk, which includes losses from fraud, error, the inability to deliver products or services, and loss or theft of information. Losses resulting from operational risk could take the form of explicit charges, increased operational costs, harm to the Company’s reputation or forgone opportunities. Any of these could potentially have a material adverse effect on the Company’s reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.

The Company is exposed to various business risks that could have a negative effect on the financial performance of the Company. These risks include changes in customer behavior, changes in competition, new litigation or changes to existing litigation, claims and assessments, environmental liabilities, real or threatened acts of war or terrorist activity, adverse weather, changes in accounting standards, legislative or regulatory changes, taxing authority interpretations, and an inability on the Company’s part to retain and attract skilled employees.

In addition to these risks identified by the Company, investments in the Company’s common stock involve risk. The market price of the Company’s common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors including volatility of stock market prices and volumes, rumors or erroneous information, changes in market valuations of similar companies, changes in securities analysts’ estimates of financial performance, and variations in quarterly or annual operating results.

Economic and Market Conditions Risks

Difficult economic conditions and market disruption have adversely impacted the banking industry and financial markets generally and may again significantly affect the business, financial condition, or results of operations of the Company. The Company’s success depends, to a certain extent, upon economic and political conditions, local and national, as well as governmental monetary policies. Conditions such as inflation, recession, unemployment, changes in interest rates, money supply and other factors beyond the Company’s control may adversely affect its asset quality, deposit levels and loan demand and, therefore, its earnings. These adverse conditions could lead to the Company having a diminished capacity for dividend payments.

The Company’s profitability depends significantly on economic conditions in the geographic region in which it operates. A large percentage of the Company’s loans are to individuals and businesses in Illinois, consequently, any decline in the economy of this market area could have a materially adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

Decline in the strength and stability of other financial institutions may adversely affect the Company’s business. The actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions could affect the Company’s ability to engage in routine funding transactions. Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of clearing, counterparty or other relationships. The Company has exposure to different counterparties and executes transactions with various counterparties in the financial industry. Recent defaults by financial services institutions, and even rumors or questions about one or more financial services institutions or the financial services industry in general, led to market-wide liquidity problems in recent years and could lead to losses or defaults by the Company or by other institutions. Many of these transactions expose the Company to credit risk in the event of default of its counterparty or client. Any such losses could materially and adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

The Company is subject to Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) risks that could adversely affect its reputation and the market price of its securities. The Company is subject to a variety of risks arising from ESG matters. ESG matters include climate risk, hiring practices, the diversity of the work force, and racial and social justice issues involving the Company’s personnel, customers and third parties with whom it otherwise does business. Risks arising from ESG matters may adversely affect, among other things, reputation and the market price of the Company’s securities. Further, the Company may be exposed to negative publicity based on the identity and activities of those to whom it lends and with which it otherwise does business and the public’s view of the approach and performance of its customers and business partners with respect to ESG matters. Any such negative publicity could arise from adverse news coverage in traditional media and could also spread through the use of social media platforms. The Company’s relationships and reputation with its existing and prospective customers and third parties with which it does business could be damaged if it were to become the subject of any such negative publicity. This, in turn, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s ability to attract and retain customers and employees and could have a negative impact on the market price for securities. Investors have begun to consider the steps taken and resources allocated by financial institutions and other commercial organizations to address ESG matters when making investment and operational decisions. Certain investors are beginning to incorporate the business risks of climate change and the adequacy of companies’ responses to the risks posed by climate change and other ESG matters into their investment theses. These shifts in investing priorities may result in adverse effects on the market price of the Company’s securities to the extent that investors determine that the Company has not made sufficient progress on ESG matters.

The Company’s business could suffer if it fails to attract and retain skilled people. The Company’s success depends, in large part, on its ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best employees in most of the activities the Company engages in can be intense. The Company may not be able to hire the best people for key roles or retain them. In addition, increased work-from-home arrangements, may exacerbate the challenges of attracting and retaining talented and diverse employees as job markets may be less constrained by physical geography. Our current or future approach to in-office and work-from-home arrangements may not meet the needs or expectations of current or prospective employees or may not be perceived as favorable compared to the arrangements offered by competitors, which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees. The loss of any key personnel or an inability to continue to attract, retain, and motivate key personnel could adversely affect the Company’s business.

Climate change could have a material negative impact on the Company and customers. The Company’s business, as well as the operations and activities of its customers, could be negatively impacted by climate change. Climate change presents both immediate and long-term risks to the Company and its customers, and these risks are expected to increase over time. Climate change presents multi-faceted risks, including: operational risk from the physical effects of climate events on the Company and its customers’ facilities and other assets; credit risk from borrowers with significant exposure to climate risk; transition risks associated with the transition to a less carbon-dependent economy; and reputational risk from stakeholder concerns about the Company’s practices related to climate change, the Company’s carbon footprint, and the Company’s business relationships with clients who operate in carbon-intensive industries. Federal and state banking regulators and supervisory authorities, investors, and other stakeholders have increasingly viewed financial institutions as important in helping to address the risks related to climate change both directly and with respect to their customers, which may result in financial institutions coming under increased pressure regarding the disclosure and management of their climate risks and related lending and investment activities Ongoing legislative or regulatory uncertainties and changes regarding climate risk management and practices may result in higher regulatory, compliance, credit, and reputational risks and costs. The risks associated with climate change are changing and evolving in an escalating fashion, making them difficult to assess due to limited data and other uncertainties. The Company could experience increased expenses resulting from strategic planning, litigation, and technology and market changes, and reputational harm as a result of negative public sentiment, regulatory scrutiny, and reduced investor and stakeholder confidence due to the Company’s response to climate change and its climate change strategy, which, in turn, could have a material negative impact on business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Other Business Risks

The Company may issue additional common stock or other equity securities in the future which could dilute the ownership interest of existing stockholders. To maintain capital at desired or regulatory-required levels, to replace existing capital, or to complete acquisitions the Company may be required to issue additional shares of common stock, or securities convertible into, exchangeable for or representing rights to acquire shares of common stock. The Company may sell these shares at prices below the current market price of shares, and the sale of these shares may significantly dilute stockholder ownership. The Company could also issue additional shares in connection with acquisitions of other financial institutions.