Heritage Financial Announces Third Quarter 2026 Results and Declares Regular Cash Dividend of $0.25 Per Share

Third Quarter 2026 Highlights

• Net income was $18.7 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, compared to $17.5 million, or $0.42 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2026.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share ⁽¹⁾ were $0.55, compared to $0.57 in the second quarter of 2026.
• Net interest income increased $2.4 million, or 3.3% (13.0% annualized) from the prior quarter.
• Net interest margin increased to 4.05%, an increase of 6 basis points from 3.99% for the second quarter of 2026.
• Yield on loans increased to 5.76%, an increase of 4 basis points from 5.72% for the second quarter of 2026.
• Cost of interest bearing deposits decreased to 1.65%, from 1.67% for the second quarter of 2026.
• Loans receivable increased $133.5 million, or 2.3% (9.2% annualized), from the second quarter of 2026.
• Deposits increased $148.2 million, or 2.1% (8.4% annualized), from the second quarter of 2026.
• Approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to 5% of the Company's outstanding shares, or approximately 2.0 million shares.
• Declared a regular cash dividend of $0.25 per share on October 21, 2026.

OLYMPIA, Wash., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Heritage Financial Corporation (Nasdaq GS: HFWA) (the "Company," "we," or "us"), the parent company of Heritage Bank (the "Bank"), today reported net income of $18.7 million for the third quarter of 2026, compared to $17.5 million for the second quarter of 2026 and $19.2 million for the third quarter of 2025. Diluted earnings per share were $0.46 for the third quarter of 2026, compared to $0.42 for the second quarter of 2026 and $0.55 for the third quarter of 2025. Adjusted diluted earnings per share⁽¹⁾ were $0.55 for the third quarter of 2026, compared to $0.57 for the second quarter of 2026 and $0.56 for the third quarter of 2025.

During third quarter of 2026, the Company completed the core conversion of customer accounts of Kitsap Bank from the acquisition of its parent company Olympic Bancorp, Inc. (the "Merger") which closed on January 31, 2026. As a result of the core conversion and closure of two branches, the Company recognized Merger-related expenses of $5.2 million in the third quarter of 2026.

Bryan McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, "We are pleased with the continued improvement in our net interest margin and growth in loans and deposits during the third quarter. In addition, we completed the successful conversion of the Kitsap Bank customers to the Heritage Bank system. This was an important step for Heritage to achieve full realization of cost savings from the Merger and operate with improved efficiency going forward."

Investment Securities

Total investment securities decreased $31.8 million, or 1.9%, to $1.60 billion at September 30, 2026, from $1.63 billion at June 30, 2026. There were investment maturities and repayments of $45.9 million and a $32.4 million increase in unrealized losses on available for sale securities during the third quarter of 2026. These decreases to carrying value were partially offset by investment security purchases of $46.1 million during the third quarter of 2026.

The following table summarizes the composition of the Company's investment securities portfolio at the dates indicated:

Loans Receivable

Loans receivable increased $133.5 million, or 2.3%, during the third quarter of 2026. New loans funded during the third quarter of 2026 were $255.4 million, an increase from new loans funded during the second quarter of 2026 of $162.2 million and new loans funded during the third quarter of 2025 of $174.5 million. Loan prepayments were higher at $133.7 million during the third quarter of 2026, compared to $102.5 million during the second quarter of 2026. Loan payoffs were also higher at $73.4 million during the third quarter of 2026, compared to $49.9 million in the second quarter of 2026.

Commercial and industrial loans increased $10.4 million, or 1.0%, during the third quarter of 2026, due primarily to new loan production of $40.9 million, offset partially by pay downs on outstanding balances. Owner-occupied commercial real estate ("CRE") loans decreased $15.9 million, or 1.3%, during the third quarter, due primarily to pay downs on outstanding balances, offset partially by new loan production of $36.7 million. Non-owner occupied CRE loans increased $56.5 million, or 2.3%, during the quarter, due primarily to new loan production of $122.8 million. Residential real estate loans increased $12.3 million, or 3.5% due primarily to the purchase of a $21.0 million pool of mortgage loans during the third quarter, offset partially by pay downs on outstanding balances. Commercial and multifamily construction loans increased $62.0 million, or 23.9%, during the third quarter, due primarily to advances on current commitments.

The following table summarizes the Company's loans receivable at the dates indicated:

Deposits

Total deposits increased $148.2 million, or 2.1%, to $7.19 billion at September 30, 2026, from $7.04 billion at June 30, 2026.

Non-maturity deposits increased by $189.6 million, or 3.2%, from June 30, 2026 due primarily to new deposits opened during the third quarter of 2026 as well as an increase in customer balances as is typical in the third quarter of each year.  Certificates of deposit declined $41.4 million during the third quarter of 2026 due primarily to the transfer of a $39.3 million relationship to a money market account.

The following table summarizes the Company's total deposits at the dates indicated:

Borrowings

Total borrowings decreased $44.4 million to $121.9 million at September 30, 2026, compared to $166.3 million at June 30, 2026. All outstanding borrowings at September 30, 2026 were with the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") and mature in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Stockholders' Equity

Total stockholders' equity decreased $25.9 million, or 2.3%, to $1.08 billion at September 30, 2026, compared to $1.11 billion at June 30, 2026. This decrease was due primarily to an increase in other comprehensive loss of $25.3 million due to a change in market rates during the quarter, the repurchase of 341,483 shares of the Company's common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $10.2 million, under the Company's stock repurchase program, and dividends declared of $10.3 million, offset partially by net income of $18.7 million.

The following table summarizes changes in stockholders' equity for the Company for the period indicated:

The Company and Bank continued to maintain capital levels in excess of the applicable regulatory requirements to be categorized as "well-capitalized" at September 30, 2026.

The following table summarizes the capital ratios for the Company at the dates indicated:

Allowance for Credit Losses and Provision for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses ("ACL") on loans as a percentage of loans receivable was 1.04% at September 30, 2026, compared to 1.03% at June 30, 2026. The increase in the ACL as a percentage of loans was due primarily to specific reserves of $998,000 for individually evaluated loans.

During the third quarter of 2026, the Company recorded a $2.3 million provision for credit losses on loans, compared to an $844,000 reversal of provision during the second quarter of 2026. The provision for credit losses on loans was due primarily to loan growth during the quarter. During the third quarter of 2026, the Company recorded a $20,000 provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments, compared to a $77,000 reversal of provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments during the second quarter of 2026.

The following table provides detail on the changes in the ACL on loans and the ACL on unfunded commitments ("ACL on Unfunded"), and the related (reversal of) provision for credit losses for the periods indicated:

Credit Quality

Classified loans (loans rated substandard or worse) increased $3.0 million from the prior quarter, while the percentage of classified loans to loans receivable remained at 1.8% at September 30, 2026 and June 30, 2026.

The following table illustrates total loans by risk rating and their respective percentage of total loans at the dates indicated:

Nonaccrual loans were $32.1 million at September 30, 2026, compared to $15.5 million at June 30, 2026.  Four commercial and industrial loan relationships totaling $12.9 million and three commercial real estate loan relationships totaling $4.2 million were migrated to nonaccrual during the third quarter of 2026.

The following table illustrates changes in nonaccrual loans during the periods indicated:

Liquidity

Total liquidity sources available at September 30, 2026 totaled $3.25 billion. This included on- and off-balance sheet liquidity. The Company has access to FHLB advances and the Federal Reserve Bank ("FRB") Discount Window. The Company's available liquidity sources at September 30, 2026 represented a coverage ratio of 45.2% of total deposits and 114.2% of estimated uninsured deposits.

The following table summarizes the Company's available liquidity as of the dates indicated:

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Net interest income increased $2.4 million, or 3.3%, during the third quarter of 2026 compared to the second quarter of 2026 due to a $2.5 million increase in total interest income, offset partially by an increase in interest expense of $74,000. The increase in net interest income was primarily due to an increase in the net interest margin.

Net interest margin increased six basis points to 4.05% during the third quarter of 2026, from 3.99% during the second quarter of 2026. The increase in net interest margin was due primarily to the increase in yield on loans and a decrease in the cost of interest bearing deposits.

The yield on interest earning assets increased five basis points to 5.26% for the third quarter of 2026, compared to 5.21% for the second quarter of 2026. The increase was primarily due to an increase in yield on loans.

The yield on loans receivable increased four basis points to 5.76% during the third quarter of 2026, compared to 5.72% during the second quarter of 2026. The increase was due primarily to an increase in rates on loans originated during the third quarter of 2026. Loan yield also benefited from the incremental accretion on purchased loans in both the second and third quarters of 2026.

The following table presents the net interest margin and loan yield and the effect of the incremental accretion on purchased loans on these ratios for the periods indicated:

The cost of interest bearing deposits decreased two basis points to 1.65% for the third quarter of 2026, from 1.67% for the second quarter of 2026. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in rates on certificates of deposit.

Net interest margin increased 41 basis points to 4.05% during the third quarter of 2026, compared to 3.64% for the same period in the prior year. Net interest income increased $19.9 million, or 34.7%, during the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in the prior year, due to a combination of an increase in average interest earning assets, which increased substantially as a result of the Merger, and an increase in net interest margin.

The following table provides net interest income information for the periods indicated:

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income decreased $58,000 to $9.3 million during the third quarter of 2026. The decrease was due primarily to a decrease in bank owned life insurance ("BOLI") income.

Noninterest income increased $928,000 during the third quarter of 2026 from the same period in 2025 due primarily to increases in service charges and other fees, card revenue, and BOLI income due to income from the deposit portfolio and BOLI acquired from Olympic.

The following table presents the key components of noninterest income and the change for the periods indicated:

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense decreased $2.4 million, or 3.7%, to $62.0 million during the third quarter of 2026, compared to $64.3 million in the second quarter of 2026. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in Merger-related expenses.

Merger-related expenses consisted of severance expense, professional fees, core conversion costs, exit costs related to the consolidation of two branches, closure of one loan production office and one administration location, and contract termination costs.  Merger-related expenses incurred in the third quarter of 2026 were $5.2 million compared to $7.5 million in the second quarter of 2026.

The following table presents Merger-related expenses included in noninterest expense and the change for the periods indicated:

Noninterest expense increased $20.3 million, or 48.9%, during the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 due primarily to an increase in expenses related to the Merger and the addition of Olympic's operations.

The following table presents the key components of noninterest expense and the change for the periods indicated:

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense increased $385,000 in the third quarter of 2026, compared to the second quarter of 2026 due to higher pre-tax income during the third quarter of 2026.

Income tax expense increased $426,000 in the third quarter of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, due primarily to an increase in the effective income tax rate during the third quarter of 2026. 

The following table presents the income tax expense and related metrics and the change for the periods indicated:

Dividends

On October 21, 2026, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share. The dividend is payable on November 18, 2026 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2026.

Stock Repurchase Program

On October 21, 2026, the Company's Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program, authorizing the repurchase of up to 5% of the Company's outstanding common shares or approximately 2.0 million shares. The number, timing and price of shares repurchased will depend on business and market conditions, and other factors, including opportunities to deploy the Company's capital.

The new stock repurchase program supersedes a prior stock repurchase program, which was authorized in April 2024 and allowed for the buyback of approximately 1.7 million shares. The repurchase allowance under the prior stock repurchase program was substantially completed during the third quarter of 2026.

Earnings Conference Call

The Company will hold a telephone conference call to discuss third quarter of 2026 earnings on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time. Participants may register for the call at the following link: https://events.q4inc.com/analyst/562330083?pwd=MlXLXIj8. The call can also be accessed by dialing (833) 461-5787 -- Meeting ID: 562 330 083, a few minutes prior to 9:00 a.m. Pacific time. The conference call will be recorded and will be available for replay through November 5, 2026 by dialing (833) 309-1852 or by visiting the Company website https://www.hf-wa.com/.

About Heritage Financial Corporation

Heritage Financial Corporation (the "Company") is an Olympia, Washington-based bank holding company for Heritage Bank, a full-service commercial bank and its sole wholly-owned banking subsidiary. Heritage Bank has a network of branches in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Heritage Bank does business under the Whidbey Island Bank name on Whidbey Island, Washington and the Kitsap Bank name at certain branches acquired through the acquisition of Olympic Bancorp, Inc. The Company's stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "HFWA." More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.hf-wa.com and more information about Heritage Bank can be found on its website at www.heritagebanknw.com.

Contact

Bryan McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer, (360) 943-1500

Don Hinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, (360) 943-1500

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "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. Such statements often include, among others, statements concerning plans, estimates, calculations, forecasts and projections with respect to the anticipated future performance of the Company. These statements are often, but not always, identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "targets," "potentially," "probably," "projects," "outlook" or similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would," and "could," as well as the negative of such words. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent management's current expectations and forecasts regarding future events, many of which are inherently uncertain and outside of our control. Actual results may differ, possibly materially, from those currently expected or projected in these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to inherent known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or implied by forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: potential adverse impacts to economic conditions nationally or in our local market areas, other markets where we have lending relationships, or other aspects of our business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of credit quality deterioration, pronounced and sustained reductions in real estate market values, employment levels, labor shortages and a potential recession or slowed economic growth; changes in the interest rate environment, including as a result of the recent increase in the benchmark federal funds rate by the Federal Reserve, which could adversely affect our revenues and expenses, the value of assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital and liquidity; the level and impact of inflation and the current and future monetary policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and executive orders in response thereto; previous and potential future disruptions, security breaches, insider fraud, cybersecurity incidents or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on the third-party vendors who perform critical processing functions for our business, including sophisticated attacks using artificial intelligence and similar tools; legislative or regulatory changes that adversely affect our business, including changes in banking, securities, and tax laws, in regulatory policies and principles, or the interpretation and prioritization of such rules and regulations; effects on the U.S. economy resulting from actions taken by the federal government, including the threat or implementation of tariffs, immigration enforcement and changes in foreign policy; the effects of acts of war or terrorism, foreign relations, military conflicts, including the wars in Iran and Ukraine, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and other international military conflicts that can increase levels of political and economic unpredictability, contribute to rising energy and commodity prices, affect global supply chains, increase the volatility of financial markets, and other matters beyond our control; effects of other external events on our business and the businesses of our clients; credit and interest rate risks associated with our business, including our customers' borrowing, repayment, and deposit practices; fluctuations in deposits and the concentration of large deposits from certain customers, who have deposit balances above current FDIC insurance limits; liquidity issues, including our ability to borrow funds or raise additional capital, if necessary; fluctuations in the value of our investment securities; credit risks and risks from concentrations (including by type of geographic area, collateral and industry) within our loan portfolio; the effectiveness of our risk management framework; rapid technological changes implemented by us and other parties, including third-party vendors, which may be more difficult to implement or more expensive than anticipated or which may have unforeseen consequences to us and our customers, including the development and implementation of tools incorporating artificial intelligence; increased competition in the financial services industry from non-banks such as credit unions and financial technology companies, including digital asset service providers; our ability to adapt successfully to technological changes to compete effectively in the marketplace, including as a result of competition from other commercial banks, mortgage banking firms, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, financial technology companies, and digital asset service providers; emerging issues related to the development and use of artificial intelligence that could give rise to legal or regulatory action, damage our reputation or otherwise materially harm our business or customers; our ability to implement our organic and acquisition growth strategies, including the acquisition of Olympic, and our ability to successfully integrate Olympic's customers and operations following the acquisition; effects of critical accounting policies and judgments, including the use of estimates in determining fair value of certain of our assets, which estimates may prove to be incorrect and result in significant declines in valuation; the commencement, costs, effects and outcome of litigation and other legal proceedings and regulatory actions against us or to which we may become subject, including in connection with prior acquisitions; potential impairment to the goodwill we recorded in connection with our past acquisitions, including as a result of the acquisition of Olympic; loss of, or inability to attract, key personnel; our ability to successfully integrate any assets, liabilities, customers, systems, and management personnel we may acquire, including as a result of the acquisition of Olympic, into our operations and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames or at all, and any goodwill charges related thereto and costs or difficulties relating to integration matters, including but not limited to customer and employee retention, which might be greater than expected; the effects of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises; the impact of bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative publicity about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment regarding the stability and liquidity of banks; the extensive and evolving regulatory framework that applies to us; the overall health of local and national real estate markets; the level of nonperforming assets on our balance sheet; risks related to acquiring assets in or entering markets in which we have not previously operated and may not be familiar; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and saving habits; the availability of future equity and debt issuances and other capital raising opportunities on favorable terms; our success at managing and responding to the risks involved in the foregoing items; and other factors described in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") which are available on our website at www.hf-wa.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Moreover, any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release or the documents we file with or furnish to the SEC are based only on information then actually known to us and upon management's beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made which may turn out to be wrong because of inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors described above or because of other factors that we cannot foresee. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.