Investar (ISTR) Q1 2026 earnings summary

Executive summary

• Completed the acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares (WFB) and its subsidiary FNB on January 1, 2026, adding up to $1.2 billion in assets, $1.0 billion in loans, and $1.02 billion in deposits.

• Net income available to common shareholders rose to $11.5 million ($0.77 per diluted share) for Q1 2026, up from $5.4 million ($0.51) in Q4 2025 and $6.3 million ($0.63) in Q1 2025.

• Achieved 50 consecutive quarters of dividends and 11 years of dividend growth.

• Focused on balance sheet optimization, digital transformation, and disciplined expense control.

• Total assets increased 36.8% to $3.88 billion at March 31, 2026, driven by the WFB acquisition.

Financial highlights

• Net interest income grew 78% year-over-year and 51% sequentially to $32.7 million, with net interest margin expanding to 3.59% from 3.20% in Q4 2025 and 2.87% in Q1 2025.

• Diluted EPS was $0.77 in Q1 2026 vs. $0.51 in Q4 2025; core diluted EPS was $0.87 vs. $0.58.

• Return on average assets was 1.25% (core: 1.41%), and return on average common equity was 12.12% (core: 13.78%).

• Total loans grew 41% sequentially and 45.6% year-over-year to $3.07 billion; total deposits up 37.6% sequentially and 37.7% year-over-year to $3.23 billion.

• Book value per share rose to $27.97; tangible book value per share was $22.72 due to acquisition-related dilution.

Outlook and guidance

• Continued focus on organic earnings, capital building, and strategic share repurchases.

• Ongoing digital transformation, branch/ATM optimization, and originating high-quality variable-rate loans.

• Strategy includes continued growth through acquisitions and organic expansion in core markets.

• Management emphasizes consistent, quality earnings and shareholder value.