Six years after entering Texas, Louisiana-based Investar Holding Corp. is going much bigger in the Lone Star State with a deal for the $1.6 billion-asset Wichita Falls Bancshares.
Acquiring Wichita Falls, the holding company for the 36-year-old First National Bank, would add $1.2 billion of Texas-based deposits, including $364 million in the rapidly growing Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex, where First National operates five branches. It would also significantly alter Investar's funding profile by raising the level of Texas-based deposits, currently at 6%, to 37% for the pro forma company.
In a press release, Investar CEO John D'Angelo described the merger, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, as "a pivotal moment in the history of Investar Bank and a defining milestone for our company."
To help fund the purchase, Baton Rouge-based Investar announced the completion of a private placement of $32.5 million in preferred stock on Tuesday. The company said it would use the stock-sale proceeds to support the acquisition and for general corporate purposes, "including organic growth and other potential acquisitions."
An Investar spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the company's level of interest in pursuing more M&A deals.
Investar agreed to pay about $84 million in cash and stock for Wichita Falls, which is based in the North Texas city of the same name.
Investors appear to favor the transaction. Shares in Investar were trading up nearly 6% midday Wednesday at $21.56 per share.
Investar entered Texas in 2019 by
Following the completion of the deal announced Tuesday, the combined company would start with $4 billion of assets, $3.3 billion of loans and $3.5 billion of deposits. Investar is projecting 2026 earnings of $3.08 per share, reflecting 35% accretion. Investar reported earnings per share of $2.06 in 2024 and $1.69 in 2023.
"We believe this merger creates more long-term value for our customers, communities and shareholders," Wichita Falls President David Flack said in the press release. "It will allow us to bring new products and services to our customers while keeping the same banking locations and trusted local bankers."
The sale to Investar "provides a great opportunity to enhance strategic synergies through combined resources," Stan Pinkham, the president and CEO of First National Bank, said in the release.
Founded by D'Angelo in 2006, the $2.7 billion-asset Investar has frequently employed M&A to fuel its growth. Investar
In recent years, Investar has pursued a multistate expansion strategy. It
In contrast with Investar, which is a significant commercial and small-business lender, Wichita Falls has focused on mortgage lending. In addition to its seven branches, it operates two mortgage offices.
As of March 31, one- to four-family mortgages made up just under half of its $1.1 billion loan portfolio. Investar said it plans to sell $200 million of mortgages to reduce the pro forma company's residential loan concentration and pay down corporate debt and noncore deposits.
The announcement that Investar expects the deal to close in about five months is in keeping with a growing trend of more timely M&A decisions by regulators. In a research note Monday, Seaport Research Partners senior analyst Laurie Havener Hunsicker noted that 10 of the 21 bank deals announced in January and February 2025 have already closed.
