ALERUS FINANCIAL CORP (ALRS)

Item 2 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

General

The following discussion explains the Company’s financial condition and results of operations as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. Annualized results for this interim period may not be indicative of results for the full year or future periods. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes presented elsewhere in this report and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 4, 2026.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements concerning plans, estimates, calculations, forecasts and projections with respect to the anticipated future performance of Alerus Financial Corporation. These statements are often, but not always, identified by words such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “would,” “annualized,” “target” and “outlook,” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements the Company makes regarding the Company’s projected growth, anticipated future financial performance, financial condition, credit quality, management’s long-term performance goals and the future plans and prospects of Alerus Financial Corporation.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on the Company’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the Company’s business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent known and unknown uncertainties, risks, changes in circumstances, and other factors that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

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Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this report is based only on information currently available to the Company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Overview

The Company is a commercial wealth advisory services bank and national retirement and benefit services provider headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Through the Company’s subsidiary, Alerus Financial, National Association, the Company provides financial solutions to businesses and consumers through three distinct business lines—banking, retirement and benefit services, and wealth advisory services. These solutions are delivered through a relationship‑oriented primary point of contact along with responsive and client‑friendly technology.

The Company’s business model produces strong financial performance and a diversified revenue stream, which has helped the Company establish a brand and culture yielding both a loyal client base and passionate and dedicated employees. The Company generates a majority of overall revenue from noninterest income, which is driven primarily by the Company’s retirement and benefit services and wealth advisory services business lines. The remainder of the Company’s revenue consists of net interest i

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the “Selected Financial Data” and the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report. In addition to historical information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to those set forth under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report, may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

Results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to results for the year ended December 31, 2023 can be found in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 14, 2025.

Overview

The Company is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Through the Company’s subsidiary, Alerus Financial, National Association, the Company provides innovative and comprehensive financial solutions to businesses and consumers through three distinct business lines—banking, retirement and benefit services, and wealth. In prior periods, the Company had a fourth operating segment, mortgage. As of January 1, 2024, the mortgage division was fully integrated into the banking division to reflect the way the Company currently manages and views the business. These solutions are delivered through a relationship oriented primary point of contact along with responsive and client friendly technology.

The Company’s primary banking market areas are the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, specifically, the Twin Cities MSA and Rochester MSA, and Arizona, specifically, the Phoenix MSA. In addition to the Company’s offices located in the Company’s banking markets, its retirement and benefit services business administers plans in all 50 states through offices located in Minnesota and Colorado.

The Company’s business model produces strong financial performance and a diversified revenue stream, which has helped the Company establish a brand and culture yielding both a loyal client base and passionate and dedicated employees. The Company believes its client first and advice based philosophy, diversified business model and history of high performance and growth distinguishes the Company from other financial service providers. The Company generates a majority of its overall revenue from noninterest income, which is driven primarily by the Company’s retirement and benefit services and wealth business lines.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $5.2 billion of total assets, $4.0 billion of total loans, $4.2 billion of total deposits, $564.9 million of stockholders’ equity, $44.9 billion of assets under administration/management in the Company’s retirement and benefit services segment, and $4.9 billion of assets under administration/management in the Company’s wealth segment.

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Net Interest Income

Net interest income represents interest income less interest expense. The Company generates interest income on interest-earning assets, primarily loans and available-for-sale securities. The Company incurs interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, primarily interest-bearing deposits and borrowings. To evaluate net interest income, the Company measures and monitors: (i) yields on loans, available-for-sale securities and other interest-earning assets; (ii) the costs of deposits and other funding sources; (iii) the rates incurred on borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities; and (iv) the regulatory risk weighting associated with the assets. Interest income is primarily impacted by loan growth and loan repayments, along with changes in interest rates on the loans. Interest expense is primarily impacted by changes in deposit balances along with the volume and type of interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income is primarily impacted by changes in market interest rates, the slope of the yield curve, and interest the Company earns on interest-earning assets or pay on interest-bearing liabilities.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income primarily consists of the following:

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense is comprised primarily of the following:

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Operating Segments

The Company measures the overall profitability of business operations based on income before income tax. The Company allocates costs to its segments, which consist primarily of compensation and overhead expense directly attributable to the products and services within banking, retirement and benefit services and wealth. The Company measures the profitability of each segment based on the direct and indirect allocations of expense as it believes it better approximates the contribution generated by the Company’s reportable operating segments. All indirect overhead allocations to each segment are determined by management based on an annual review of department expenses. Income tax expense is allocated to corporate administration. A description of each segment is provided in Note 22 (Segment Reporting) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Critical Accounting Policies

As a result of the complex and dynamic nature of the Company’s business, management must exercise judgment in selecting and applying the most appropriate accounting policies for its various areas of operations. The policy decision process not only ensures compliance with current GAAP, but also reflects management’s discretion with regard to choosing the most suitable methodology for reporting the Company’s financial performance. It is management’s opinion that the accounting estimates covering certain aspects of the business have more significance than others due to the relative importance of those areas to overall performance, or the level of subjectivity in the selection process. These estimates affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as well as disclosures of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The most critical of the accounting policies is discussed below.

Allowance for credit losses (“ACL”)— In 2023, the Company adopted the new accounting standard for credit losses, Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, as amended (“ASU 2016-13”). This new accounting standard, commonly referred to as “CECL,” significantly changed the Company’s methodology for accounting for reserves on loans, unfunded off balance sheet credit exposures, including certain unfunded loan commitments and standby guarantees, as well as introduced the consideration for an allowance on HTM investment securities. ASU 2016-13 replaced the “incurred loss” methodology used prior to 2023 to establish an allowance on loans and off-balance sheet credit exposures, with an “expected loss” approach. Under CECL, the ACL at each reporting period serves as the Company’s best estimate of projected credit losses over the contractual life of certain assets, adjusted for expected prepayments, given an expectation of economic conditions and forecasts as of the valuation date. The Company considers the ACL on loans to be a critical accounting policy.

The recorded ACL on loans is determined based on the amortized cost basis of the assets and may be determined at various levels, including homogeneous loan pools and individual credits with unique risk factors. Since adoption of CECL in 2023, the Company has used a discounted cash flow approach to calculate the ACL for each loan segment, except for purchase credit deteriorated (“PCD”) loans. Within the discounted cash flow model, a probability of default (“PD”) and loss given default (“LGD”) assumption is applied to calculate the expected loss for each loan segment. PD is the probability the asset will default within a given timeframe and LGD is the percentage of the assets not expected to be collected due to default. PD and LGD data is derived using a combination of external data and internal historical default and loss experience. The Company uses an expected loss method to calculate the ACL on the unpaid principal balance for PCD loans. This expected loss method utilizes PD and LGD assumptions applied to non-discounted cash flows at the instrument level.

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CECL may create more volatility in the Company’s ACL. Under CECL, the Company’s ACL may increase or decrease period to period based on many factors, including, but not limited to: macroeconomic forecasts and conditions; a change in the prepayment speed assumption; an increase or decrease in loan balances, including changes to the Company’s loan portfolio mix; credit quality of the loan portfolio; and various qualitative factors outlined in ASU 2016-13.

The Company considers the ACL on loans to be a critical accounting policy given the uncertainty in evaluating the allowance required to cover management’s estimate of all expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of the loans in its portfolio. Determining the appropriateness of the allowance is a key management function that requires significant judgment and estimate by management about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Subsequent evaluations of the current loan portfolio, in light of the factors then prevailing, may result in significant changes in the allowance in future periods. While the Company’s current evaluation indicates that the ACL on loans at December 31, 2025 and 2024 was appropriate, the allowance may need to be increased under adversely different conditions or assumptions.

The significant key assumptions used with the ACL on loans calculation at December 31, 2025 using the CECL methodology, included:

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PCD loans are purchased loans, that, as of the date of acquisition, have experienced a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination, as determined by the Company’s assessment. An ACL is determined using either an expected loss method or discounted cash flow analysis to calculate gross expected losses on unpaid principal. The expected loss method utilizes PD and LGD assumptions applied to non-discounted cash flows at the instrument level. The discounted cash flow analysis uses assumptions for the coupon rates, remaining maturities, prepayment speeds, projected default probabilities, loss given defaults, and estimates of prevailing discount rates. The initial ACL determined on a collective basis is allocated to individual loans. The sum of a loan’s purchase price, allowance for credit losses, and non-credit discount or premium becomes its initial unpaid principal. The non-credit discount or premium is amortized into interest income over the life of the loan.

Non-purchased credit deteriorated (“non-PCD”) loans are purchased loans, that, as of the date of acquisition, have not experienced a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination, as determined by the Company’s assessment. The loan’s purchase price becomes its initial amortized cost basis. The difference between the initial amortized cost basis and the unpaid principal of the loan is a discount or premium, which is comprised of a credit and non-credit component, and is accreted or amortized into interest income over the life of the loan. An ACL is determined using the same methodology as other loans held for investment, but no “day one” ACL is established on the date of acquisition. Instead, a subsequent “day two” ACL for non-PCD loans is recorded through the provision for credit losses, which reflects the estimated lifetime credit losses.

Management utilizes their best judgement and information available; however, the ultimate adequacy of the ACL is dependent upon a variety of factors beyond the Company’s control which are inherently difficult to predict. The most significant factor is the macroeconomic scenario forecasts that determine the economic variables utilized in the loss driver models. Due to the inherent uncertainty in the macroeconomic forecasts, management utilized baseline, upside, and downside macroeconomic scenarios and weights the scenarios each period. At
December 31, 2025, the quantitative portion of the ACL estimate for collectively evaluated loans ranged from approximately
$22.7 million when weighting the upside scenario to 100%, to approximately
$65.0 million when weighting the most severe downside scenario 100%. Management determined that a
$31.4 million reserve for the quantitative portion of the ACL for collectively evaluated loans was appropriate as of
December 31, 2025.

As of December 31, 2025, the recorded ACL on loans was $61.9 million and represented the Company’s best estimate of expected credit losses within the loan portfolio. However, the Company may adjust its assumptions to account for differences between expected and actual losses each period. A future change of the Company’s assumptions will likely alter the level of allowance required and may have a material impact on future results of operations and financial condition. The ACL is reviewed periodically within a calendar quarter to assess trends in the aforementioned key assumptions, as well as asset quality within the loan portfolio, and the Company considers the impact of these trends on the ACL and the Company's financial condition, if any. The ACL on loans is reviewed and approved on a quarterly basis by the ACL Governance Committee, and later reviewed and ratified by the Bank’s Board of Directors.

Refer to “–Results of Operations–Provision for Credit Losses,” “–Financial Condition–Asset Quality,” and Note 6 (Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further discussion.

Goodwill—As a result of acquisitions, the Company carries goodwill. Goodwill represents the cost of acquired companies in excess of the fair value of net assets at the acquisition date. Goodwill is evaluated at least annually or when business conditions suggest impairment may have occurred. Should impairment occur, goodwill will be reduced to its revised carrying value through a charge to earnings. The determination of whether or not impairment exists is based upon various valuation techniques, including the market approach and the income approach utilizing discounted cash flow modeling techniques that require management to make estimates regarding the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. It also requires them to select a discount rate that reflects the current return requirements of the market in relation to present risk-free interest rates, required equity market premiums, and company-specific performance and risk metrics, all of which are susceptible to change based on changes in economic and market conditions and other factors. Future events or changes in the estimates used to determine the carrying value of goodwill could have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations.

A summary of the accounting policies used by management is disclosed in Note 1 (Significant Accounting Policies) and Note 8 (Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Fair values of loans acquired in business combinations—Loans acquired in business combinations are initially recorded at fair value as adjusted for credit risk and an ACL at the date of acquisition for PCD loans. For loans with no significant evidence of credit deterioration since origination, the difference between the fair value and the unpaid principal balance of the loan at the acquisition date is amortized into interest income using the effective interest method over the remaining period to contractual maturity.

Loans acquired with evidence of deterioration in credit quality since origination, or PCD loans, are accounted for in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 326. Determining the fair value of the loans involves estimating the amount and timing of principal and interest cash flows initially expected to be collected on the loans and then discounting those cash flows at an appropriate market rate of interest. An ACL is recognized by estimating the expected credit losses of the purchased asset and recording an adjustment to the acquisition date fair value to establish the initial amortized cost basis of the asset. Differences between the established fair value and the unpaid principal balance of the asset is considered to be a non-credit discount/premium and is accreted/amortized into interest income using the interest method accounted for in accordance with ASC 310. Subsequent changes to the ACL are recorded through provision for credit loss expense using the same methodology as other loans held for investment.

Fair values for loans acquired in the HMNF acquisition were based on a discounted cash flow methodology that forecasts expected credit and prepayment adjusted cash flows, which were discounted using market-based discount rates. This approach also considered factors including the type of loan and related collateral, fixed or variable interest rate, remaining term, credit quality ratings or scores, and amortization status.

Selected larger loans with adverse risk ratings were specifically reviewed to evaluate fair value. Loans with similar risk characteristics were pooled together when applying various valuation techniques. The discount rates used for loans were based on an evaluation of current market rates for new originations of comparable loans, indices of corporate and other bond spreads, and required rates of return for market participants to purchase similar assets, including adjustments for liquidity, servicing costs, and credit quality when necessary. In the Company’s valuation analysis, the discount rate had the most significant impact on the valuation. An increase of 0.25% to the discount rates used to derive the fair value of the loans at the time of the merger would have reduced the approximate fair value by $7.3 million, whereas a decrease of 0.25% to the discount rates would have increased the fair value by approximately $7.4 million.

A summary of the accounting policies used by management is disclosed in Note 1 (Significant Accounting Policies) and Note 3 (Business Combinations) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

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Selected Financial Data

The following consolidated selected financial data is derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the three years ended December 31, 2025.

The consolidated selected financial data presented below contains financial measures that are not presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and have not been audited. See “Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliations and Calculation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.

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Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliations and Calculation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the results presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company routinely supplements its evaluation with an analysis of certain non-GAAP financial measures. Management uses the non-GAAP financial measures presented in the tables below in its analysis of its performance, and believes financial analysts and investors frequently use these measures, and other similar measures, to evaluate capital adequacy and financial performance. Management, banking regulators, many financial analysts and other investors use these measures in conjunction with more traditional bank capital ratios to compare the capital adequacy of banking organizations with significant amounts of goodwill or other intangible assets, which typically stem from the use of the purchase accounting method of accounting for mergers and acquisitions.

The following tables present these non-GAAP financial measures along with the most directly comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP for the periods indicated:

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Results of Operations

The following discussion describes the consolidated operations and financial condition of the Company and the Bank. Results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025 are compared to the results for the year ended December 31, 2024, and the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of December 31, 2025 is compared to December 31, 2024.

Summary

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $17.4 million, a decrease of $0.3 million, or 1.9%, compared to $17.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Diluted earnings per common share were $0.68 in 2025, compared to $0.83 in 2024. Return on average total assets was 0.33% in 2025, compared to 0.39% for 2024. The decrease in net income was primarily driven by a $63.1 million decrease in noninterest income and a $20.6 million increase in noninterest expense, offset by a $65.5 million increase in net interest income and a $17.6 million decrease in provision for credit losses expense. Noninterest income decreased primarily due to the $68.4 million loss on investment securities recognized in connection with a strategic balance sheet repositioning in the fourth quarter of 2025. The increase in net interest income was primarily driven by earning assets acquired in the HMNF acquisition, organic loan growth at higher yields, lower cost of funds, and purchase accounting accretion. The increase in noninterest expense was primarily due to a $10.1 million increase in compensation expense, a $4.2 million increase in occupancy and equipment expense, a $3.8 million increase in employee taxes and benefits expense, and a $3.7 million increase in intangible amortization expense, partially offset by a $8.5 million decrease in professional fees and assessments, as a result of the completion of the HMNF acquisition.

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Net Interest Income—With Nontaxable Income Converted to Fully Taxable Equivalent (“FTE”)

Net interest income totaled $172.5 million in 2025, an increase of $65.5 million, or 61.1%, from 2024. Net interest margin increased 97 basis points to 3.53% in 2025, from 2.56% in 2024. The increase in net interest margin was primarily the result of a $58.1 million increase in interest income on interest-earning assets and a $7.4 million decrease in interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities. The increase in the interest income earned on interest-earning assets was driven by a 35 basis point increase in the average rate earned on loans as well as a $948.0 million increase in the average balance of total loans, driven by increased loan balances from the acquisition of HMNF and strong organic growth at higher yields. The decrease in interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities was driven by a 70 basis point decrease in the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities, partially offset by a $562.3 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities, driven primarily by the acquisition of HMNF.

The following table sets forth information related to the Company’s average balance sheet, average yields on assets, and average rates of liabilities for the periods indicated. The Company derived these yields by dividing income or expense by the average balance of the corresponding assets or liabilities. The Company derived average balances from the daily balances throughout the periods indicated. Average loan balances include loans that have been placed on nonaccrual, while interest previously accrued on these loans is reversed against interest income. In these tables, adjustments are made to the yields on tax-exempt assets in order to present tax-exempt income and fully taxable income on a comparable basis.

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Interest Rates and Operating Interest Differential

Increases and decreases in interest income and interest expense result from changes in average balances (volume) of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, as well as changes in average interest rates. The following table shows the effect that these factors had on the interest earned on interest-earning assets and the interest incurred on interest-bearing liabilities. The effect of changes in volume is determined by multiplying the change in volume by the previous period’s average rate. Similarly, the effect of rate changes is calculated by multiplying the change in average rate by the previous period’s volume.

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Provision for Credit Losses

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses expense of $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to a provision for credit losses expense of $18.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The provision for credit losses expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 included $4.2 million in provision for credit losses on loans, ($3.6) million in provision release for credit losses on unfunded commitments, and ($8) thousand recovery for credit losses on investment securities held-to-maturity (“HTM”). The CECL accounting standard requires the Company to recognize losses over the expected life of the loan as opposed to the losses expected to already have been incurred. The decrease in provision for credit losses was primarily a result of a $7.3 million day one provision in connection with the acquisition of HMNF in 2024 and a reduction in the unfunded commitment reserve of $3.6 million.

Noninterest Income

The following table presents noninterest income for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:

Total noninterest income decreased $63.1 million, or 54.9%, to $51.9 million in 2025, from $114.9 million for 2024. The decrease in noninterest income was almost entirely driven by the strategic balance sheet repositioning transaction in the fourth quarter of 2025, which resulted in a $68.4 million loss on the sale of investment securities. Wealth revenue increased $2.1 million in 2025 primarily driven by an increase in assets under administration/management of 5.9%.

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Noninterest income as a percent of total operating revenue, which consists of net interest income plus noninterest income, was 23.12% in 2025, down from 51.78% the prior year. The decrease in 2025 was primarily driven by the strategic balance sheet repositioning transaction in the fourth quarter of 2025, which resulted in a $68.4 million loss on the sale of investment securities. Excluding the $68.4 million loss on the sale of investment securities associated with the strategic balance sheet repositioning transaction in the fourth quarter of 2025, adjusted noninterest income as a percent of total operating revenue, which consists of net interest income plus noninterest income, was 41.08% in 2025.

Noninterest Expense

The following table presents noninterest expense for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:

Total noninterest expense increased $20.6 million, or 11.4%, to $201.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, from $180.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in noninterest expense was primarily driven by a $10.1 million increase in compensation expense, a $4.2 million increase in occupancy and equipment expense, a $3.8 million increase in employee taxes and benefits expense, and a $3.7 million increase in intangible amortization expense, partially offset by a $8.5 million decrease in professional fees and assessments, as a result of the completion of the HMNF acquisition.

Income Taxes

For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized income tax expense of $5.2 million on $22.6 million of pre-tax income, resulting in an effective tax rate of 22.8%. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recognized income tax expense of $5.4 million on $23.2 million of pre-tax income, resulting in an effective tax rate of 23.2%. The decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily driven by items related to the acquisition of HMNF in 2024 and increased tax-exempt income.

Segment Reporting

The Company determined reportable segments based on the significance of the services offered, the significance of those services to the Company’s financial condition and operating results, and the Company’s regular review of the operating results of those services. The Company has three operating segments—banking, retirement and benefit services, and wealth. These segments are components for which financial information is prepared and evaluated regularly by management in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance.

The selected financial information presented for each segment sets forth net interest income, provision for loan losses, noninterest income, and direct and indirect noninterest expense overhead allocations. Corporate administration includes all remaining income and expenses not allocated to the three operating segments. Certain reclassification adjustments have been made between corporate administration and the various lines of business for consistency in presentation.

For additional financial information on the Company’s segments see Note 22 (Segment Reporting) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Banking

The banking division offers a complete line of loan, deposit, cash management, and treasury services through 27 offices in North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Iowa. These products and services are supported through various digital applications. The majority of the Company’s assets and liabilities are on the banking segment balance sheet.

The following table presents the banking segment income statement, net of corporate administration, for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:

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Retirement and Benefit Services

The retirement and benefit services business provides the following services nationally: record-keeping and administration services to qualified and other types of retirement plans, investment fiduciary services to retirement plans, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and COBRA recordkeeping and administration services. The division services approximately 8,800 retirement plans and more than 495,000 plan participants and operates within the Company’s banking markets, as well as Lakewood, Colorado.

The following table presents the retirement and benefit services segment income statement for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:

The following table presents changes in the combined AUA and AUM for the Company’s retirement and benefit services segment for the periods presented:

Total AUA and AUM for the retirement and benefit services segment was $44.9 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of $4.2 billion, or 10.3%, compared to the total at December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $5.1 billion in market impact, driven by improved bond and equity markets.

Wealth

The wealth division provides advisory and planning services, investment management, and trust and fiduciary services to clients across the Company’s footprint.

The following table presents the wealth segment income statement for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:

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The following table presents changes in the wealth combined AUA and AUM, disaggregated by product, for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:

Total AUA and AUM for the wealth segment was $4.9 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of $0.3 billion, or 5.9%, compared to the total at December 31, 2024. The increase was driven by a $0.7 billion increase in market impact driven by improved bond and equity markets.

Financial Condition

Overview

Total assets were $5.2 billion at December 31, 2025, a decrease of $31.6 million, or 0.6%, compared to $5.3 billion at December 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily due a $74.0 million decrease in available-for-sale investment securities and a $21.1 million decrease in held-to-maturity securities, partially offset by an increase of $55.5 million in loans held for investment and an increase of $15.3 million in operating lease right-of-use assets.

Investment Securities

The following table presents the fair value composition of the Company’s investment securities portfolio at the dates indicated:

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The composition of the Company’s investment securities portfolio reflects the Company’s investment strategy of maintaining an appropriate level of liquidity for normal operations while providing an additional source of revenue. The investment portfolio also provides a balance to interest rate risk and credit risk in other categories of the balance sheet, while providing a vehicle for the investment of available funds, furnishing liquidity, and supplying securities to pledge as collateral.

At December 31, 2025, the total fair value of investment securities was $742.1 million compared to $825.0 million at December 31, 2024. The fair value of investment securities as a percentage of total assets was 14.2% and 15.7%, as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The decrease in investment securities was primarily due to principal paydowns on mortgage securities and maturities. Securities with a carrying value of $115.1 million were pledged at December 31, 2025, to secure public deposits and for other purposes required or permitted by law.

The net pre-tax unrealized market value loss on the AFS investment portfolio as of December 31, 2025 was $3.6 million, compared to a $98.5 million loss as of December 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily due to the $68.4 million loss on investment securities recognized in connection with the strategic balance sheet repositioning in the fourth quarter of 2025, as well as improved market conditions.

The investment portfolio is composed of U.S. Treasury debentures, U.S. Agency mortgage-backed pass-throughs, U.S. Agency, Commercial Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”), Corporate bonds and Municipal bonds.

As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company held 59 tax-exempt state and local municipal securities totaling $28.1 million, and 68 tax-exempt state and local municipal securities totaling $30.0 million, respectively. Other than the aforementioned investments, at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were no holdings of securities of any one issuer, other than the U.S. government and its agencies, in an amount greater than 10% of stockholders’ equity.

The Company’s AFS debt securities that are in an unrealized loss position are assessed to determine if an allowance should be recorded or if a write-down is required in accordance with ASU 2016-13. As of and for the years ended years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not record any allowances on or write-down any of the AFS debt securities in an unrealized loss position. Refer to Note 1 (Significant Accounting Policies) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional details of the Company’s assessment of the allowance for AFS investments as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025.

In accordance with ASU 2016-13, in each reporting period the Company’s HTM debt securities are assessed to determine if any allowance should be recorded or if a write-down is required. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recorded an allowance of $123 thousand and $131 thousand, respectively, and did not write-down any HTM debt securities. Refer to Note 1 (Significant Accounting Policies) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional details of the Company’s assessment of the allowance for HTM investments as of and for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

The investment securities presented in the following table are reported at fair value and by contractual maturity as of December 31, 2025. Actual timing may differ from contractual maturities if borrowers have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. Additionally, the mortgage backed securities receive monthly principal payments, which are not reflected below. The yields below are calculated on a tax equivalent basis, assuming a 21.0% income tax rate.

Loans

The loan portfolio represents a broad range of borrowers comprised of C&I, CRE, agricultural, RRE, and consumer financing loans.

Total loans outstanding were $4.0 billion as of December 31, 2025, an increase of $55.5 million, or 1.4%, from December 31, 2024. The increase in total loans was primarily driven by a $45.8 million increase in consumer loans and a $9.7 million increase in commercial loans. The fair value of net loans acquired in the HMNF transaction, which was completed on October 9, 2024, was $786.2 million.

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The Company’s loan portfolio is highly diversified. As of December 31, 2025, approximately 18.3% of loans outstanding were C&I, while 47.8% of loans outstanding were CRE, 30.8% of loans outstanding were consumer, and 3.1% of loans outstanding were agricultural.

C&I loans represent loans for working capital, purchases of equipment and other needs of commercial customers primarily located within our geographical footprint. These loans are underwritten individually and represent ongoing relationships based on a thorough knowledge of the customer, the customer's industry, and market. While C&I loans are generally secured by the customer's assets including real property, inventory, accounts receivable, operating equipment, and other property and may also include personal guarantees of the owners and related parties, the primary source of repayment of the loans is the ongoing cash flow from operations of the customer's business. In addition, revolving lines of credit are generally governed by a borrowing base. Inherent lending risks are monitored on a continuous basis through interim reporting, covenant testing and annual underwriting.

CRE loans consist of term loans secured by a mortgage lien on the real property and includes both owner occupied CRE loans as well as non-owner occupied loans. Non-owner occupied CRE loans consist of mortgage loans to finance investments in real property that may include, but are not limited to, multi-family, industrial, office, retail and other specific use properties as well as CRE construction loans that are offered to builders and developers generally within our geographical footprint. The primary risk characteristics in the non-owner-occupied portfolio include impacts of overall leasing rates, absorption timelines, levels of vacancy rates and operating expenses. The Company requires collateral values in excess of the loan amounts, cash flows in excess of expected debt service requirements and equity investment in the project. The expected cash flows from all significant new or renewed income producing property commitments are stress tested to reflect the risks in varying interest rates, vacancy rates, rental rates, and capitalization rates. Inherent lending risks are monitored on a continuous basis through quarterly monitoring and our annual underwriting process, incorporating an analysis of cash flow, collateral, market conditions, stress testing, including an interest rate risk assessment, and guarantor liquidity, if applicable. CRE loan policies are specific to individual product types and underwriting parameters vary depending on the risk profile of each asset class. CRE loan policies are reviewed no less than semi-annually by management and approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors to ensure they align with current market conditions and the Bank’s moderate risk appetite. Construction loans are monitored monthly and includes on-site inspections. Management reviews all construction loans quarterly to ensure projects are on time and within budget. CRE concentration limits have been established by product type and are monitored quarterly by the Bank’s Credit Governance Committee and Board of Directors.

CRE loans may be adversely affected by conditions in the real estate markets or in the general economy. The Company does not monitor the CRE portfolio for attributes such as loan to value ratios, occupancy rates, and net operating income, as these characteristics are assessed and evaluated on an individual loan basis. Portfolio stress testing is completed based on property type and takes into consideration changes to net operating income and capitalization rates. The Company does not have exposure to the office building sector in central business districts as the office portfolio is generally diversified in suburban markets with acceptable occupancy levels. As of December 31, 2025, at 303.4%, the Bank's applicable investor CRE loans, as a percentage of its risk-based capital, slightly exceeded the regulatory guideline limit of 300%. Robust concentration management processes are in place to monitor this level of exposure. Quarterly, Bank management and its Board of Directors review the level of investor real estate assets, taking into consideration geographic location, detailed market analysis by property type, portfolio performance, and asset quality trends. Construction loans at 49.3% were below the regulatory guideline limit of 100%.

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The following table presents the geographical markets of the collateral related to the non-owner occupied and multifamily CRE loans as of the dates presented: