WEST BANCORPORATION INC (WTBA) Business

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

General Development of Business

West Bancorporation, Inc. (the Company or West Bancorporation) is an Iowa corporation and a financial holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (BHCA). The Company was formed in 1984 to own West Bank, an Iowa-chartered bank headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa. West Bank is a business-focused community bank that was organized in 1893. The Company’s primary activity during 2025 was the ownership of West Bank. The Company’s and West Bank’s only business is banking, and therefore, no segment information is presented in this report. For additional information regarding the Company’s segment reporting, see Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K .

As a financial holding company, the Company has additional flexibility to engage in a broader range of financial activities through affiliates than are permissible for bank holding companies that are not financial holding companies. While the Company does not currently have a plan to engage in any new activities, as a financial holding company, it has the ability to respond more quickly to market developments and opportunities.

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The Company currently operates in the following markets: central Iowa, which is generally the greater Des Moines metropolitan area; eastern Iowa, which includes the area surrounding Iowa City and Coralville; and southern Minnesota, which includes the cities of Rochester, Owatonna, Mankato and St. Cloud.

The Company continues to grow, as total assets at the end of 2025 totaled $4.1 billion compared to $4.0 billion at the end of 2024, an increase of 3.2 percent. Total deposits at the end of 2025 totaled $3.5 billion compared to $3.4 billion at the end of 2024, an increase of 3.3 percent. The Company continues to focus on expanding existing and entering into new customer relationships while maintaining strong credit quality.

The Company declared and paid cash dividends on its common stock totaling $1.00 per share in 2025 and declared a $0.25 quarterly dividend on January 28, 2026, payable on February 25, 2026, to stockholders of record on February 11, 2026. The Company expects to continue paying regular quarterly dividends in the future. In the opinion of management, the capital position of the Company is strong. At December 31, 2025, the Company’s tangible common equity ratio was 6.42 percent compared to 5.68 percent at December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had no intangible assets or preferred stock outstanding. Additional information on capital can be found in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Description of the Company’s Business

West Bank provides full-service community banking and trust services to customers located primarily in the following metropolitan areas: Des Moines, Coralville and Iowa City, Iowa, and Rochester, Owatonna, Mankato and St. Cloud, Minnesota. West Bank has six offices in the Des Moines area, one office in Coralville, Iowa and one office in each of our four Minnesota markets. West Bank offers many types of credit to its customers, including commercial, real estate and consumer loans. West Bank offers trust services, including the administration of estates, conservatorships, personal trusts and agency accounts.

West Bank offers a full range of commercial and consumer deposit services, including checking, savings and money market accounts and time certificates of deposit. West Bank also offers online banking, mobile banking and treasury management services, which help to meet the banking needs of its customers. Treasury management services offered to business customers include online and mobile cash management, client-generated automated clearing house transactions, remote deposit capture, lock box and fraud protection services. Also offered are merchant card processing and corporate credit cards.

West Bank’s business strategy emphasizes strong business and personal relationships between West Bank and its customers and the delivery of products and services that meet the individualized needs of those customers. West Bank also emphasizes strong cost controls, while striving to achieve an above average return on equity. To accomplish these goals, West Bank focuses on small- to medium-sized businesses in its local markets that traditionally wish to develop an exclusive relationship with a single bank. West Bank has the size to provide the personal attention required by local business owners and the financial expertise and entrepreneurial attitude to help businesses meet their financial service needs.

As of December 31, 2025, we conducted banking operations through 11 locations in central and eastern Iowa and southern Minnesota. The economies in our market areas are well diversified. We believe that an important factor contributing to our historical performance and our ability to execute our strategic priorities is the vibrancy of our markets. Our markets are home to major financial services companies, healthcare systems, educational institutions, technology and agribusiness companies, and state and local governments. Our markets host major employers such as Principal Financial Group, Wells Fargo, Hy-Vee, John Deere, Mayo Clinic, University of Iowa, University of Iowa Health Care, MercyOne, UnityPoint Health, CentraCare Health Systems and IBM.

The markets in which we operate have generally experienced population growth over the past five years. Des Moines-West Des Moines is the largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Iowa, while Iowa City and Coralville make up the fourth largest MSA in Iowa. Rochester and St. Cloud are the third and fourth largest MSAs in Minnesota, respectively. We believe our markets are economically stable. Unemployment rates in all our markets are below the national unemployment rate of 4.4 percent as of December 31, 2025, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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The market areas served by West Bank are highly competitive with respect to both loans and deposits. West Bank competes with other commercial banks, credit unions, mortgage companies and other financial service providers, including financial technology (FinTech) companies. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) Summary of Deposits as of June 30, 2025, West Bank ranked seventh in the state of Iowa in terms of deposit share. Some of West Bank’s competitors are locally controlled, while others are regional, national or international companies. The larger, international, national or regional banks have certain competitive advantages due to their ability to undertake substantial advertising campaigns and allocate their investment assets to out-of-market geographic regions with potentially higher returns. Such banks also offer certain services, such as international and conduit financing transactions, which are not offered directly by West Bank. These larger banking organizations also have much higher legal lending limits than West Bank, and therefore, may be better able to service large regional, national and global commercial customers. The financial services industry has become even more competitive in recent years as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and continued consolidation. Technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for non-banks, such as FinTech companies, to offer deposit and loan products and services traditionally provided by banks.

In order to compete to the fullest extent possible with the other financial institutions in its primary market areas, West Bank uses the flexibility and knowledge of its local management, Board of Directors and community advisors. West Bank has a group of community advisors in each of its markets who provide insight to management on current business activity levels and trends. West Bank seeks to capitalize on customers who desire to do business with a local institution. This includes emphasizing specialized services, local promotional activities, and personal contacts by West Bank’s officers, directors and employees. In particular, West Bank competes for loans primarily by offering competitive interest rates, experienced lending personnel with local decision-making authority, flexible loan arrangements, quality products and services, and proactive relationship management. West Bank competes for deposits principally by offering depositors a variety of straight-forward deposit products along with online and mobile access and other personalized services.

West Bank also competes with the general financial markets for funds. Yields on corporate and government debt securities and commercial paper affect West Bank’s ability to attract and hold deposits. West Bank also competes for funds with money market accounts and similar investment vehicles offered by brokerage firms, mutual fund companies, internet banks and others. The competition for these funds is based almost exclusively on yields to customers.

Human Capital Management

We believe that the success of our business is largely due to the quality of our employees, the development of each employee's full potential and the Company's ability to provide timely and satisfying rewards. We encourage and support the development of our employees and, whenever possible, strive to fill vacancies with internal candidates. We invest in education and development programs, including tuition reimbursement for courses and degree programs and fees paid for certifications. We encourage employees to seek educational opportunities for both industry knowledge and professional development.

We continue to invest in initiatives aimed at the growth and readiness of our workforce, including our West Bank Women’s Impact Network (WIN). WIN connects and expands relationships among women at West Bank with women in our communities and our customers. The network builds a system of sponsors and mentors to provide more opportunities for women in leadership at West Bank and furthers our impact on the community through support and sponsorship of women’s leadership initiatives. 20 percent of West Bank’s current executive management team and 41 percent of West Bank officers and department managers are women. Currently, women comprise 30 percent of the directors on our Board of Directors.

As part of our compensation philosophy, we believe that we must offer and maintain market competitive compensation and benefit programs for our employees in order to attract and retain talent. The goal of our compensation program is to create superior long-term value for our stockholders by attracting, motivating and retaining outstanding employees who serve our customers while generating financial performance that is consistently better than our peers. Our business model allows us to operate with fewer employees than the typical commercial bank of our size because we emphasize teamwork, sound practices and a focus on business banking. Because we have fewer people, we need to have the right people and ensure that we offer what we consider to be above average pay in exchange for above average performance. Our employees are provided a formal performance evaluation annually that includes discussion of the opportunity for advancement and career development.

In addition to competitive base wages, additional programs include annual bonus opportunities, Company-matched 401(k) and discretionary 401(k) contributions, stock award opportunities, educational expense reimbursement, insurance benefits, paid time off, family leave and employee assistance programs. Our best-in-class health care plans, including medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability and life insurance, reflect a sincere investment in our colleagues’ physical, emotional and financial well-being. Offering premium coverage through our health insurance provider, our employees are afforded a large network of doctors and the Company pays 75 percent of monthly medical premiums for employees enrolled.

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Our approach also promotes longevity in our workforce. The average tenure of our employees is nine years and the average tenure of bank officers is over 12 years. Approximately 17 percent of employees have been with West Bank for 10-15 years and approximately 22 percent of employees have been with West Bank for over 15 years. Non-teller turnover was approximately 7 percent in both 2025 and 2024. We conduct periodic company-wide employee engagement surveys to assess employee satisfaction and engagement.

Succession planning and talent development are important at all levels within our organization. The Board oversees executive management’s succession plan for our named executive officers. The Board’s succession planning activities are ongoing. In addition, the CEO annually provides the Board with his assessment of senior leaders and their potential to succeed at key senior management positions.

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

Banking institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), together with their holding companies and affiliates, are extensively regulated under federal and state law. As a result, our growth and earnings performance may be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the requirements of federal and state statutes and by the regulations and policies of various banking agencies, including the Iowa Division of Banking (IDOB), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), the FDIC and federal and state consumer financial protection agencies. Furthermore, taxation laws administered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state taxing authorities, accounting rules developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), securities laws administered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and state securities authorities, and anti-money laundering and sanctions laws enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) have an impact on our business. The effect of these statutes, regulations, regulatory policies and accounting rules are significant to our operations and results.

Federal and state banking laws impose a comprehensive system of supervision, regulation and enforcement on the operations of FDIC-insured institutions, their holding companies and affiliates that is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC-insured deposits and depositors of banks, rather than stockholders. These federal and state laws, and the regulations of the banking agencies issued under them, affect, among other things, the scope of our business; the kinds and amounts of investments that we may make; required capital levels relative to our assets; the nature and amount of collateral for loans; the establishment of branches; our ability to merge, consolidate and acquire; dealings with our insiders and affiliates; and our payment of dividends. In response to the global financial crisis and particularly following passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act), we experienced heightened regulatory requirements and scrutiny. Although the reforms primarily targeted large banking organizations and other systemically important financial institutions, their influence filtered down in varying degrees to community banks over time and caused our compliance and risk management processes, and the costs thereof, to increase. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (Regulatory Relief Act) clarified the inapplicability of certain Dodd-Frank Act reforms to community banking organizations, including relieving us of any requirement to engage in mandatory stress tests, maintain a risk committee, or comply with the Volcker Rule’s complicated prohibitions on proprietary trading and ownership of private funds.

Over the past year, the federal banking agencies have continued efforts to reduce regulatory burden on banking organizations, including community banks, through various supervisory, regulatory, and policy initiatives. These efforts have included rescission or revision of certain rulemakings and proposals, initiatives to streamline examination and application processes, and efforts to increase transparency and consistency in supervisory expectations. Congress also has considered additional measures aimed at easing specific compliance obligations for community banks, although no reforms comparable in scope to the Regulatory Relief Act have been enacted to date. These regulatory developments may be favorable to our operations; however, future changes in laws, regulations, or supervisory priorities, and their impacts on our business, remain uncertain.

The supervisory framework applicable to U.S. banking organizations subjects banks and bank holding companies to regular examination by their respective banking agencies. These examinations result in confidential examination reports and supervisory ratings that may impact an institution’s operations, capital levels, growth, and strategic initiatives. Examinations consider not only compliance with applicable laws and regulations, but also capital levels, asset quality, management performance, earnings, liquidity, and overall risk profile, among other things. The banking agencies generally have broad discretion to impose restrictions and limitations on the operations of a regulated entity where the agencies determine that such operations are unsafe or unsound, violate applicable law, or are otherwise inconsistent with laws and regulations. Changes in supervisory approach or emphasis may materially affect our operations and financial results.

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In recent supervisory communications, rulemakings, and policy statements, federal banking agencies have indicated an increased focus on core, material financial risks (rather than risk management processes), greater transparency in supervisory expectations, and efforts to reduce examination burden, particularly for community banks. For example, the FDIC, West Bank’s primary federal regulator, has proposed or implemented initiatives: (i) to clarify standards for unsafe or unsound practices; (ii) to enhance supervisory appeals processes; (iii) to streamline examination procedures; and (iv) to revise standards governing the termination of enforcement actions. These initiatives may enable management to focus more effectively on growth opportunities and the management of material financial risks.

The following is a summary of the material elements of the supervisory and regulatory framework applicable to the Company and West Bank. It does not describe all of the statutes, regulations, and regulatory policies that apply, nor does it restate all of the requirements of those that are described. The descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the particular statutory and regulatory provision.

Supervision and Regulation of the Company

General. The Company, as the sole stockholder of West Bank, is a bank holding company that has elected financial holding company status. As a bank holding company, we are registered with, and subject to regulation by, the Federal Reserve under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (BHCA). We are legally obligated to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to West Bank and to commit resources to support West Bank in circumstances where we might not otherwise do so. Under the BHCA, we are subject to periodic examination by the Federal Reserve and are required to file with the Federal Reserve periodic reports of our operations and such additional information regarding our operations as the Federal Reserve may require.

Acquisitions and Activities. The primary purpose of a bank holding company is to control and manage banks. The BHCA generally requires the prior approval of the Federal Reserve for any merger involving a bank holding company or any acquisition by a bank holding company of another bank or bank holding company. Pursuant to the BHCA and the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve may permit a well-capitalized and well-managed bank holding company to acquire banks located in any U.S. state, subject to federal deposit concentration limits, applicable nondiscriminatory state deposit-cap laws, and state minimum-existence requirements for target banks (not exceeding five years).

The BHCA generally prohibits the Company from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than five percent of the outstanding voting shares of any nonbanking entity, and from engaging in any business other than that of banking, managing and controlling banks or furnishing services to banks and their subsidiaries. This general prohibition is subject to a number of exceptions. The principal exception allows bank holding companies to engage in, and to own shares of companies engaged in, certain businesses found by the Federal Reserve prior to November 11, 1999 to be “so closely related to banking ... as to be a proper incident thereto.” This authority would permit the Company to engage in a variety of banking-related businesses, including, among other things, the ownership and operation of a savings association, or any entity engaged in consumer finance, equipment leasing, the operation of a computer service bureau (including software development), and mortgage banking and brokerage services. The BHCA does not place formal territorial restrictions on the domestic activities of nonbank subsidiaries of bank holding companies. In addition to approval from the Federal Reserve in certain circumstances, prior approval for the establishment or acquisition of nonbank subsidiaries by a bank holding company may be required from other agencies, such as the IDOB or agencies that regulate such nonbank company.

Financial Holding Company Election. Bank holding companies that meet certain BHCA eligibility requirements and elect to operate as financial holding companies may engage in, or own shares in companies engaged in, a wider range of nonbanking activities, including securities and insurance underwriting and sales, merchant banking and any other activity that: (i) the Federal Reserve, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, determines by regulation or order is financial in nature or incidental to any such financial activity; or (ii) the Federal Reserve determines by order to be complementary to any such financial activity, as long as the activity does not pose a substantial risk to the safety or soundness of FDIC-insured institutions or the financial system generally.

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In the third quarter of 2016, we elected to operate as a financial holding company. To maintain our status as a financial holding company, both the Company and West Bank must be well-capitalized and well-managed, and West Bank must have at least a satisfactory CRA rating. If the Federal Reserve determines that either the Company or West Bank is not well-capitalized or well-managed, the Federal Reserve will provide a period of time in which to re-achieve compliance with those requirements, but, during the period of noncompliance, the Federal Reserve may place any limitations on the Company that it deems appropriate. Furthermore, if the Federal Reserve determines that West Bank has not achieved a satisfactory CRA rating, we would not be able to commence any new financial activities or acquire a company that engages in such activities. As of December 31, 2025, we retained our election as a financial holding company, but we have not engaged in any activity, and do not own any assets, for which financial holding company designation is required. The election affords us the ability to respond more quickly to market developments and opportunities.

Change in Control. Federal law prohibits any person or company from acquiring “control” of an FDIC-insured depository institution or its holding company without prior notice to the appropriate federal banking agencies. Control is conclusively determined to exist upon the acquisition of 25 percent or more of the outstanding voting securities of a bank or bank holding company, but may be presumed to arise under certain circumstances between 10 percent and 24.99 percent ownership.

Company Capital Requirements. The Company is subject to complex consolidated capital requirements of the Basel III Rule (as defined below), see “—the Basel III Rule” below.

Dividend Payments. Our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders may be affected by both general corporate law considerations and policies and capital requirements of the Federal Reserve applicable to bank holding companies. As an Iowa corporation, we are subject to the limitations of Iowa law, which allows us to pay dividends unless, after such dividend, (i) we would not be able to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of business or (ii) our total assets would be less than the sum of our total liabilities plus any amount that would be needed if we were to be dissolved at the time of the dividend payment, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of stockholders whose rights are superior to the rights of the stockholders receiving the distribution.

As a general matter, the Federal Reserve has indicated that the board of directors of a bank holding company should eliminate, defer or significantly reduce dividends to stockholders if: (i) the company’s net income available to stockholders for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid during that period, is not sufficient to fully fund the dividends; (ii) the prospective rate of earnings retention is inconsistent with the company’s capital needs and overall current and prospective financial condition; or (iii) the company will not meet, or is in danger of not meeting, its minimum regulatory capital adequacy ratios. The Federal Reserve also possesses enforcement powers over bank holding companies and their nonbank subsidiaries to prevent or remedy actions that represent unsafe or unsound practices or violations of applicable statutes and regulations. Among these powers is the ability to proscribe the payment of dividends by banks and bank holding companies. Finally, the Basel III Rule imposes consolidated capital requirements on banking organizations. As a result, banking organizations must hold a capital conservation buffer of 2.5 percent of risk-weighted assets in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital above the minimum risk-based capital requirements to avoid regulatory limits on dividends and other capital distributions. See “-the Basel III Rule” below.

Monetary Policy. The monetary policy of the Federal Reserve has a significant effect on the operating results of bank holding companies and their subsidiaries. Among the tools available to the Federal Reserve to affect the money supply are open market transactions in U.S. government securities and changes in the discount rate on bank borrowings. These means are used in varying combinations to influence overall growth and distribution of bank loans, investments and deposits, and their use may affect interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits, which may impact our business and operations.

Federal Securities Regulation. Our common stock is registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). Consequently, we are subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading and other restrictions and requirements of the SEC under the Exchange Act.

Corporate Governance. The Dodd-Frank Act addressed many investor protection, corporate governance and executive compensation matters that will affect most U.S. publicly traded companies. It increased stockholder influence over boards of directors by requiring companies to give stockholders a nonbinding vote on executive compensation and so-called “golden parachute” payments, and authorized the SEC to promulgate rules that would allow stockholders to nominate and solicit voters for their own candidates using a company’s proxy materials.

The Dodd-Frank Act also directed the Federal Reserve, in coordination with the other federal banking and financial services agencies, to promulgate rules prohibiting excessive compensation paid to executives of bank holding companies, regardless of whether such companies are publicly traded. Although several agencies have made repeated efforts to implement rules under this provision of the Dodd-Frank Act-including a proposal issued most recently in May 2024, which was subsequently withdrawn-no final rule has been adopted at this time.

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Supervision and Regulation of West Bank

General. West Bank is an Iowa-chartered, nonmember bank. The deposit accounts of West Bank are insured by the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) to the maximum extent provided under federal law and FDIC regulations, currently $250,000 per insured depositor, per ownership category. Ongoing policy discussions at the federal level have focused on potential changes to deposit insurance coverage, including possible adjustments to coverage limits, although no definitive changes have been enacted.

West Bank is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting, and enforcement requirements of the IDOB, its chartering authority, and the FDIC, which is designated by federal law as the primary federal regulator of insured state banks that, like West Bank, are not members of the Federal Reserve System.

Deposit Insurance Assessments. As an FDIC-insured institution, West Bank is required to pay deposit insurance premium assessments to the FDIC. The FDIC has adopted a risk-based assessment system whereby FDIC-insured institutions pay insurance premiums at rates based on their risk classification. For institutions, like West Bank, that are not considered large and highly complex banking organizations, assessments are based on examination ratings and financial ratios. For small institutions that have been insured for more than five years, the total base assessment rates, effective as of January 1, 2023, generally range from 2.5 basis points (for the lowest risk institutions) to 32 basis points or beyond (for higher risk institutions).

At least semi-annually, the FDIC updates its loss and income projections for the DIF and, if needed, increases or decreases the assessment rates, following notice and comment on proposed rulemaking. For this purpose, the reserve ratio is the DIF balance divided by estimated insured deposits. In response to the global financial crisis, the Dodd-Frank Act increased the minimum reserve ratio from 1.15% to 1.35% of the estimated amount of total insured deposits. In a May 2025 report, the FDIC stated that the reserve ratio likely will reach the statutory minimum by the September 30, 2028 deadline, and no adjustments to the base assessment rates are currently projected.

In addition, because the cost of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank attributable to the systemic risk exception was approximately $16.7 billion, the FDIC adopted a special assessment applicable to bank organizations with total assets of $5 billion or more. The base for the special assessment is equal to an insured depository institution’s estimated uninsured deposits for the December 31, 2022 reporting period, adjusted to exclude the first $5 billion in estimated uninsured deposits. Because the Company does not have $5 billion or more in assets, this special assessment does not apply.

Supervisory Assessments. All Iowa banks are required to pay supervisory assessments to the IDOB to fund the operations of that agency. The amount of the assessment is calculated on the basis of West Bank’s total assets and the costs and expenses incurred in the discharge of the IDOB’s examination, supervisory, and regulatory duties.

Bank Capital Requirements. Regulatory capital represents the net assets of a banking organization available to absorb losses. Because of the risks attendant to their business, FDIC-insured institutions, such as banks, as well as their holding companies (i.e., banking organizations) generally are required to hold more capital than other businesses, which directly affects the Company’s and West Bank’s earnings capabilities. Although capital has historically been one of the key measures of the financial health of both bank holding companies and banks, its role became fundamentally more important in the wake of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, as the banking agencies recognized that the amount and quality of capital held by banking organizations prior to that crisis was insufficient to absorb losses during periods of severe stress.

Capital Levels. Banking organizations have been required to hold minimum levels of capital based on guidelines established by the banking agencies since 1983. The minimum capital levels for banking organizations have been expressed in terms of ratios of “capital” divided by “total assets.” The capital guidelines for U.S. banking organizations beginning in 1989 have been based upon international capital accords (known as the “Basel” accords) adopted by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, a committee of central banks and bank supervisors that acts as the primary global standard-setter for prudential regulation, as interpreted and implemented by the U.S. federal banking agencies on an interagency basis. These accords recognized that bank assets for the purpose of the capital ratio calculations needed to be risk weighted (the theory being that riskier assets should require more capital) and that off-balance sheet exposures needed to be factored into the calculations. Following the global financial crisis, the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision, the oversight body of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, announced an agreement on a strengthened set of capital requirements for banking organizations around the world, known as the Basel III accords, to address deficiencies recognized in connection with the global financial crisis.

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The Basel III Rule. The U.S. federal banking agencies adopted the U.S. Basel III regulatory capital reforms, and, at the same time, effected changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act, in regulations that were effective in 2015 (with certain phase-ins) (the Basel III Rule). The Basel III Rule established capital standards for banks and bank holding companies that are meaningfully more stringent than those established previously and are still in effect today. The Basel III Rule increased the required quantity and quality of capital and required a more complex, detailed and calibrated assessment of risk in the calculation of risk weightings for bank assets. The Basel III Rule is applicable to all banking organizations that are subject to minimum capital requirements, including national and state banks and savings and loan associations, as well as to most bank and savings and loan holding companies. Thus, West Bank and the Company are subject to the Basel III Rule as described below.

Not only did the Basel III Rule increase most of the required minimum capital ratios in effect prior to January 1, 2015, but, by requiring that capital instruments be of higher quality to absorb loss, it introduced the concept of Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (CET1), which consists primarily of common stock, related surplus (net of Treasury stock), retained earnings, and CET1 minority interests, subject to certain regulatory adjustments and deductions. The Basel III Rule also changed the definition of regulatory capital by establishing more stringent criteria for instruments to qualify as Additional Tier 1 Capital (primarily non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock that meets certain requirements) and Tier 2 Capital (primarily other types of preferred stock and subordinated debt, subject to limitations). In addition, the Basel III Rule limited the inclusion of minority interests, mortgage-servicing assets, and deferred tax assets in regulatory capital and required deductions from CET1 if such assets exceeded prescribed thresholds.

The Basel III Rule requires banking organizations to maintain minimum capital ratios to be deemed “adequately capitalized,” as follows:

•A ratio of CET1 equal to 4.5% of risk-weighted assets;

•A ratio of Tier 1 Capital equal to 6% of risk-weighted assets;

•A ratio of Total Capital (Tier 1 plus Tier 2 Capital) equal to 8% of risk-weighted assets; and

•A Tier 1 leverage ratio (calculated as Tier 1 Capital divided by average total quarterly) assets equal to 4% of risk-weighted assets.

In addition, banking organizations that want to make capital distributions (including dividends and share repurchases) and pay discretionary bonuses to executive officers without restriction must maintain 2.5% of CET1 in the form of a capital conservation buffer. The purpose of the conservation buffer is to ensure that banking organizations maintain a cushion of capital that can be used to absorb losses during periods of financial and economic stress. Factoring in the capital conservation buffer increases the minimum ratios described above to 7% for CET1, 8.5% for Tier 1 Capital, and 10.5% for Total Capital.

Well Capitalized Requirements. The capital ratios described above represent minimum standards for banking organizations to be considered “adequately capitalized.” Banking agencies uniformly encourage banking organizations to maintain capital levels above these minimums and to be classified as “well-capitalized.” To that end, federal law and regulations provide various incentives for banking organizations to maintain regulatory capital in excess of minimum regulatory requirements. For example, a well-capitalized banking organization may: (i) qualify for exemptions from prior notice or application requirements otherwise applicable to certain activities; (ii) receive expedited processing of other required notices or applications; and (iii) accept, roll-over, or renew brokered deposits.

In addition, the banking agencies may require higher capital levels where warranted by an institution’s specific risk profile or operating circumstances. For example, the Federal Reserve’s capital guidelines contemplate that additional capital may be required to take adequate account of, among other things, risks, such as interest rate risk, or risks associated with credit concentration, 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 regulatory levels.

Under the FDIC and the Federal Reserve regulations, in order to be well‑capitalized, West Bank and the Company must maintain:

•A CET1 ratio to risk-weighted assets of 6.5% or more;

•A ratio of Tier 1 Capital to total risk-weighted assets of 8% or more;

•A ratio of Total Capital to total risk-weighted assets of 10% or more; and

•A Tier 1 leverage ratio of 5% or greater.

Under the Basel III Rule, a banking organization may be considered “well capitalized” while not complying with the capital conservation buffer requirements described above.

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As of December 31, 2025: (i) West Bank was not subject to a directive from IDOB or the FDIC to increase its capital; and (ii) West Bank was well-capitalized, as defined by FDIC regulations. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had regulatory capital in excess of the Federal Reserve’s requirements and met the Basel III Rule requirements to be well-capitalized. West Bank and the Company also were in compliance with the capital conservation buffer.

Basel III Endgame Proposal. Previously, federal banking agencies proposed a “Basel III Endgame Rule” to complete the implementation of certain aspects of the Basel III accords; however, the proposal was not adopted, in part due to stakeholder concerns regarding potential economic impacts, data transparency, and the alignment of certain provisions with statutory tailoring requirements. Based on public statements from federal agency officials, it is anticipated that a revised proposal may be issued in the future. Any re-proposal of the Basel III Endgame Rule is expected to primarily affect large, complex banking organizations.

Prompt Corrective Action. The concept of a banking organization being “adequately capitalized” or “well capitalized,” as defined above, is part of a regulatory enforcement regime that provides the federal banking agencies with broad power to take “prompt corrective action” to resolve the problems of depository institutions based on the capital level of each particular institution. The extent of the banking agencies’ powers depends on whether the banking organization in question is “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized,” in each case as defined by regulation. Depending upon the capital category to which a banking organization is assigned, the banking agencies’ corrective powers include: (i) requiring the institution to submit a capital restoration plan; (ii) limiting the institution’s asset growth and restricting its activities; (iii) requiring the institution to issue additional capital stock (including additional voting stock) or to sell itself; (iv) restricting transactions between the institution and its affiliates; (v) restricting the interest rate that the institution may pay on deposits; (vi) ordering a new election of directors of the institution; (vii) requiring that senior executive officers or directors be dismissed; (viii) prohibiting the institution from accepting deposits from correspondent banks; (ix) requiring the institution to divest certain subsidiaries; (x) prohibiting the payment of principal or interest on subordinated debt; and (xi) ultimately, appointing a receiver for the institution.

Community Bank Capital Simplification. Community banking organizations have long raised concerns with federal banking agencies about the regulatory burden, complexity, and costs associated with certain provisions of the Basel III Rule. In response, Congress provided an “off-ramp” for institutions, like us, with total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion as part of the Regulatory Relief Act. Section 201 of the Regulatory Relief Act specifically instructed the federal banking agencies to establish a single “Community Bank Leverage Ratio” (CBLR) of between 8 and 10%. Under the final rule, a community banking organization is eligible to elect to comply with its capital requirements under the CBLR framework if it has: (i) less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets, (ii) limited amounts of certain assets and off-balance sheet exposures, and (iii) a CBLR greater than 9%. In late 2025, the federal banking agencies proposed changes to the CBLR framework intended to encourage broader adoption, including reducing the required leverage ratio from 9.0% to 8.0%; however, the proposal has not yet been finalized. We have not elected to use the CBLR framework at this time.

Liquidity Requirements. Liquidity is a measure of the ability and ease with which bank assets may be converted to meet financial obligations, such as deposits or other funding sources. Banks are required to implement liquidity risk management frameworks that ensure they maintain sufficient liquidity, including a cushion of unencumbered, high-quality liquid assets, to withstand a range of stress events. The level and speed of deposit outflows contributing to the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank in 2023 was unprecedented and contributed to acute liquidity and funding strain, underscoring the importance of liquidity risk management and contingency funding planning by insured depository institutions like West Bank, as highlighted in a 2023 addendum to existing interagency guidance on funding and liquidity risk management.

The primary role of liquidity risk management is to: (i) prospectively assess the need for funds to meet financial obligations; and (ii) ensure the availability of cash or collateral to fulfill those needs at the appropriate time by coordinating the various sources of funds available to the institution under normal and stressed conditions. The Basel III Rule includes a liquidity framework that requires the largest banking organizations to measure their liquidity against specific liquidity tests. One test, referred to as the Liquidity Coverage Ratio, or LCR, is designed to ensure that the banking organization has an adequate stock of unencumbered high-quality liquid assets that can be converted easily and immediately in private markets into cash to meet liquidity needs for a 30-calendar day liquidity stress scenario. The other test, known as the Net Stable Funding Ratio, or NSFR, is designed to promote more medium- and long-term funding of the assets and activities of FDIC-insured institutions over a one-year horizon. These tests provide an incentive for banks and bank holding companies to increase their holdings in Treasury securities and other sovereign debt as a component of assets, increase the use of long-term debt as a funding source and rely on stable funding like core deposits (in lieu of brokered deposits).

Although these tests do not apply to West Bank, we continue to review our liquidity risk management policies in light of regulatory requirements and industry developments.

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Dividend Payments. The primary source of funds for the Company is dividends from West Bank. Under the Iowa Banking Act, Iowa-chartered banks generally may pay dividends only out of undivided profits. The IDOB may restrict the declaration or payment of a dividend by an Iowa-chartered bank, such as West Bank. The payment of dividends by any FDIC-insured institution is affected by the requirement to maintain adequate capital pursuant to applicable capital adequacy guidelines and regulations, and an FDIC-insured institution generally is prohibited from paying any dividends if, following payment thereof, the institution would be undercapitalized. As described above, West Bank exceeded its capital requirements under applicable guidelines as of December 31, 2025. Notwithstanding the availability of funds for dividends, however, the FDIC and the IDOB may prohibit the payment of dividends by West Bank if either agency determines that such payment would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. In addition, under the Basel III Rule, banking organizations that want to pay dividends must maintain 2.5 percent in CET1 attributable to the capital conservation buffer. See “—Bank Capital Requirements” above.

State Bank Investments, Activities, and Acquisitions. West Bank is permitted to make investments and engage in activities directly or through subsidiaries as authorized under Iowa law. However, under federal law and FDIC regulations, FDIC-insured state banks are prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from making or retaining equity investments that are not permissible for a national bank. Federal law and FDIC regulations also prohibit FDIC-insured state banks and their subsidiaries from engaging as principal in any activity that is not permitted for a national bank, unless they meet and continue to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements and the FDIC determines that the activity would not pose a significant risk to the DIF. These restrictions have not had, and are not currently expected to have, a material impact on the operations of West Bank.

West Bank may be required to obtain approval from the IDOB, the FDIC, and other applicable banking or financial services agencies before engaging in certain acquisitions or mergers under applicable state and federal law. In 2025, the federal banking agencies rescinded certain prior administrative actions regarding the review and approval of mergers and acquisitions, with the intent of streamlining and expediting the regulatory review of certain merger and acquisition applications. With respect to interstate mergers and acquisitions, federal law permits state banks to merge with out-of-state banks subject to: (i) regulatory approval; (ii) federal and state deposit concentration limits; and (iii) state law requirements that the merging bank has been in existence for a minimum period of time (not to exceed five years), prior to the merger.

Branching Authority. Iowa banks, such as West Bank, have the authority under Iowa law to establish branches anywhere in the State of Iowa, subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals. The Dodd-Frank Act permits well-capitalized and well-managed banks to establish new interstate branches or the acquisition of individual branches of a bank in another state (rather than the acquisition of an out-of-state bank in its entirety) without impediments.

Affiliate and Insider Transactions. West Bank is subject to certain restrictions imposed by federal law on “covered transactions” between West Bank and its “affiliates.” The Company is an affiliate of West Bank for purposes of these restrictions. Covered transactions subject to these restrictions include extensions of credit to the Company, investments in the stock or other securities of the Company, and the acceptance of the Company’s stock or other securities as collateral for loans made by West Bank. The Dodd-Frank Act enhanced these requirements by expanding the definition of “covered transactions” and extending the period for which collateral requirements for such transactions must be maintained.

Certain limitations and reporting requirements also apply to extensions of credit by West 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 under state and federal law. In addition, federal law and regulations may govern the terms on which any person who is a director or officer of the Company or West Bank, or a principal stockholder of the Company, may obtain credit from banks with which West Bank maintains a correspondent relationship.

Safety and Soundness Standards/Risk Management. FDIC-insured institutions are expected to operate in a safe and sound manner. The federal banking agencies have adopted operational and managerial standards to promote the safety and soundness of such institutions that address internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits, asset quality and earnings. These standards generally 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 operate in a safe and sound manner its primary federal regulator may require the submission of a plan to achieve and maintain compliance. Failure to submit an acceptable compliance plan, or to implement a plan in any material respect, may result in formal agency orders directing the institution to cure deficiencies. Until such deficiencies are resolved, the agency may restrict the institution’s rate of growth, require additional capital, limit deposit rates, or take other corrective action as deemed appropriate. Operating in an unsafe or unsound manner also will constitute grounds for other enforcement action by the federal banking agencies, including cease and desist orders and civil money penalty assessments.

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Federal banking agencies have emphasized the importance of sound risk management processes and strong internal controls when evaluating the activities of the FDIC-insured institutions. In 2025, however, the agencies signaled a shift toward focusing on the identification and management of material financial risks, rather than primarily on adherence to prescriptive operational processes. Although effective risk management, internal controls, and board and management oversight remain important, supervisory attention may increasingly center on whether specific practices pose material harm to the institution’s financial condition or create a risk of loss to the DIF. Despite this potential shift in focus, the agencies continue to evaluate a broad spectrum of risks including credit, market, liquidity, operational, and legal risks, emphasizing their potential impact on safety and soundness. Notably, the federal banking agencies have indicated that they intend to remove reputation risk from consideration, citing concerns about its use in restricting banking services to certain industries or groups. The key risk themes identified for 2025 are discussed under Risk Factors.

West Bank is expected to have active board and senior management oversight; adequate policies, procedures and limits; adequate risk measurement, monitoring and management information systems; and comprehensive internal controls. The federal banking agencies also issued guidance on specific risk management topics, including third-party relationships, in response to the proliferation of relationships between banking organizations and financial technology companies (although the guidance applies more broadly).

Privacy and Cybersecurity. West Bank is subject to numerous U.S. federal and state laws and regulations aimed at protecting the non-public, confidential information of its customers. These laws require West Bank to periodically disclose its privacy policies and practices regarding the sharing of non-public customer information, and in certain circumstances, permit consumers to opt out of the sharing of information with unaffiliated third parties. They also limit West Bank’s ability to share certain information with affiliates and non-affiliates for marketing or non-marketing purposes. In addition, as a part of its operational risk mitigation, West Bank is required to implement a comprehensive information security program that includes administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of customer records and information, and to require the same of its service providers. These security and privacy policies and procedures are applied consistently across all business lines and geographic locations.

West Bank and the Company are also subject to federal and state laws and regulations requiring notifications and disclosures regarding certain cybersecurity incidents. In addition, West Bank must consider and address cybersecurity risks as part of its risk management processes, including implementing and maintaining appropriate safeguards, monitoring and testing systems, and overseeing the cybersecurity practices of its service providers. Regulatory guidance emphasizes the cybersecurity should be integrated into overall enterprise risk management and business continuity planning.

Community Reinvestment Act Requirements. The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) imposes on West Bank a continuing and affirmative obligation, consistent with safe and sound operations, to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The FDIC regularly assesses West Bank’s record of meeting these credit needs through periodic CRA examinations. West Bank’s CRA ratings derived from these examinations can have significant impacts on the activities in which West Bank and the Company may engage. For example, a low CRA rating may impact the review of applications for acquisitions by West Bank or the Company’s financial holding company status.

In October 2023, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule intended to strengthen and modernize the CRA regulations (the CRA Rule). The CRA Rule was subsequently challenged in court, which prevented it from taking effect. In 2025, the federal banking agencies issued a proposed rule to rescind the CRA Rule and reinstate the prior CRA regulatory framework adopted in 1995.

Additionally, the FDIC has determined to lengthen the period between CRA examinations for certain banks with less than $3 billion in assets; however, this change is not expected to impact West Bank, which has more than $3 billion in total assets.

Anti-Money Laundering/Sanctions. The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) is a U.S. federal statutory framework, as amended by subsequent laws and implemented through regulations, which is designed to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit financial activity. The BSA and related anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) laws and regulations are intended to prevent terrorists and criminals from accessing the U.S. financial system and have significant implications for FDIC-insured institutions and other businesses involved in the transmission of funds. Together, this regulatory framework provides a foundation to promote financial transparency and deter and detect efforts to misuse the U.S. financial system to launder criminal proceeds, finance terrorist acts, or facilitate other illicit conduct.

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The BSA and related regulations require financial institutions to establish and maintain policies and procedures addressing: (i) customer identification and due diligence; (ii) the prevention and detection of money laundering and terrorist financing; (iii) the identification and reporting of suspicious activities and certain currency transactions; (iv) compliance with laws relating to currency crimes; and (v) cooperation with law enforcement authorities. West Bank also must comply with stringent economic and trade sanctions regimes administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Although core AML/CFT statutory requirements and expectations remain unchanged, federal banking agencies and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) have recently pursued or considered efforts to modernize and streamline BSA/AML compliance through a more risk-based approach, including targeted regulatory relief, revised examination expectations, and efforts to reduce certain reporting and compliance burden, particularly for lower-risk and community banking organizations.

Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate. Concentration risk exists when FDIC-insured institutions allocate a disproportionate amount of assets to a single industry or economic segment. Concentration in commercial real estate (CRE) lending is one area of regulatory focus, which has been subject to additional scrutiny by federal banking agencies as well as the SEC (for publicly-traded banking organizations) in recent years. The interagency Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices guidance (CRE Guidance) provides supervisory criteria, including the following numerical indicators, to assist bank examiners in identifying institutions with potentially significant CRE loan concentrations that may warrant greater supervisory attention. These indicators include: (i) total CRE loans exceeding 300 percent of capital and increasing 50 percent or more in the preceding three years; or (ii) construction and land development loans exceeding 100 percent of capital.

The CRE Guidance does not establish binding limits on CRE lending activities, but rather is intended to inform supervisory assessments of whether an institution’s risk profile, earnings capacity, and capital levels are commensurate with its CRE exposure. In recent years, the federal banking agencies have issued statements to reinforce prudent risk-management practices related to CRE lending in response to observed growth in CRE markets, increased competitive pressures, rising CRE concentrations, and an easing of CRE underwriting standards. In other statements, the agencies reminded FDIC-insured institutions to maintain underwriting discipline and to identify, measure, monitor, and manage the risks arising from CRE lending, including by holding capital commensurate with those risks.

West Bank historically has exceeded, and continues to exceed, the 300 percent guideline for CRE loans. Additional monitoring processes have been implemented to manage this increased risk.

Consumer Financial Services. The historical structure of federal consumer protection regulation applicable to all providers of consumer financial products and services changed significantly on July 21, 2011, when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) commenced operations to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all providers of consumer products and services, including West Bank, as well as the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over providers with more than $10 billion in assets. FDIC-insured institutions with $10 billion or less in assets, like West Bank, continue to be examined by their applicable primary federal banking regulators.

In response to mortgage-related abuses that contributed to the global financial crisis, the Dodd-Frank Act and CFPB rulemaking significantly expanded underwriting, disclosure, and anti-predatory lending requirements for residential mortgage loans, including by imposing ability-to-repay standards and establishing a presumption of compliance for certain “qualified mortgages.” The CFPB has continued to refine these requirements through additional rulemaking addressing qualified mortgages and ability-to-repay standards. Over the last several years, the CFPB has taken an aggressive approach to the regulation (and supervision, where applicable) of providers of consumer financial products and services. More recently, changes in leadership and policy direction have led to: (i) shifts in regulatory priorities, including the rescission or reconsideration of certain CFPB guidance and rules; (ii) a reduction in CFPB enforcement activity; and (iii) constraints on the CFPB’s budget and resources, although the CFPB continues to retain broad statutory authority to administer, supervise, and enforce federal consumer financial protection laws. In addition, state banking and other financial services regulatory agencies retain authority to administer and enforce state consumer financial protection laws and could increase supervisory or enforcement activity in response to changes in federal regulatory priorities.

The CFPB’s rules have not had a significant impact on West Bank’s operations, except for higher compliance costs. West Bank also must comply with certain state consumer protection laws and requirements in the states in which it operates.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The principal executive offices of the Company are located at 3330 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266. The Company’s telephone number is (515) 222-2300, and its internet address is www.westbankstrong.com. Copies of the Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments thereto are available for viewing or downloading free of charge from the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website as soon as reasonably practicable after the documents are filed with or furnished to the SEC. Copies of the Company’s filings with the SEC are also available from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) free of charge.

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