Equity Bancshares, Inc. Third Quarter Results Highlighted by Organic Loan Growth and Announced Merger with Lincoln Bancorp

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below: Equity Bancshares, Inc. 40 Reflects Franchise Earning Power Equity Bancshares, Inc. 29 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2026. 40.

“This quarter our company continued to execute at an exciting level. Earnings were strong, production reached all-time highs and loans grew organically. We are putting teams in place with an aligned mission to deepen and expand customer relationships while providing exceptional service to the communities we serve. The results for the quarter reflect that mission,” said Brad S.

Elliott, Chairman and CEO of Equity Bancshares. “As our teams realized positive operating results in our current footprint, we announced our merger with Lincoln Bancorp, which will add the incredible team members, growing communities and exceptional customers it has been cultivating for 124 years. The approval process is progressing as planned and we look forward to all our teams will accomplish together in 2027 and beyond,” Mr. Elliott continued.

9%. 9%. 3% quarter over quarter. 0 million quarter over quarter.

1 million was outpaced by growth in interest expense for the period as deposit costs increased. 6%. 3 million in the quarter. 4% in the previous period.

42%. 9% in the previous quarter. 6% in the previous quarter. 45 in the previous period.

19, respectively, in the period. 1%, up 3 basis points. 1 million. 65%.

7 years of current period annualized losses. 22 on outstanding common shares as of September 30, 2026. 84. As previously announced our repurchase authorization was re-established in September for a total of 1,000,000 shares.

27 per diluted share in the prior quarter. 40 per diluted share, demonstrating the underlying earnings power of the franchise. The drivers of the current period results are discussed in detail in the following sections. 9 million in the previous quarter.

20%. The decline in net interest income is primarily attributable to an expanding cost of funds and declining yield on earning assets. 0 million driven by investment balances funded by borrowings further driving decline in margin. 4 million higher than average balances during the period.

35% for the fourth quarter, absent the impact of Lincoln. 7 million, up $353 thousand from the previous quarter. 1 million, or an annualized 15 basis points of average loans. 65%.

7 years of current period annualized charge-offs as of the end of the period. The Company continues to estimate the allowance with assumptions reflecting slower prepayment rates and continued disruption from trade policy, elevated inflation, and monetary policy pressures. 8 million from the prior quarter. 6 million during the period.

Period results were driven by growth in service charges and fees, treasury services and debit and credit card income along with expansion in trust and wealth management revenue. 8%. 0 million. 9 million for the prior quarter.

8 million. 20% in the same period of the prior year. 0%. 0 million.

6% for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily attributable to tax benefits from an investment in a new tax credit structure, non-taxable life insurance proceeds, and share-based compensation activity, partially offset by federal provision-to-return adjustments and non-deductible transaction costs. 0%. 9%.

9% outpacing the moderating declines in the acquired markets. 5 million which is primarily attributable to cash and cash equivalents. 4 million as compared to the previous period. The decline is attributable to rate sensitive time and municipal deposit accounts, as well as seasonal outflows for a few large customers.

86% at prior quarter end. 42%. The Company continues to actively manage credit quality across all markets. 0 million.

45 at prior quarter end. Positive earnings performance net of dividends was offset by an increasing AOCI position as market interest rates moved against our investment portfolio. 83, respectively. 58%, respectively.

18%. 84 per share. 3%, within the Company's 10 to 20% target range. Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to evaluating the Company’s results of operations in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), management periodically supplements this evaluation with an analysis of certain non-GAAP financial measures that are intended to provide the reader with additional perspectives on operating results, financial condition and performance trends, while facilitating comparisons with the performance of other financial institutions.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not a substitute for GAAP measures, rather, they should be read and used in conjunction with the Company’s GAAP financial information. The efficiency ratio is a common comparable metric used by banks to understand the expense structure relative to total revenue. In other words, for every dollar of total revenue recognized, how much of that dollar is expended. To improve the comparability of the ratio to our peers, non-core items are excluded.

To improve transparency and acknowledging that banks are not consistent in their definition of the efficiency ratio, we include our calculation of this non-GAAP measure. Core net income is a non-GAAP financial measure that management uses to evaluate the Company’s operating performance across periods. We calculate it by adjusting net income allocable to common stockholders, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, to exclude, net of tax, gains and losses on securities transactions, merger-related costs and provisions, and amortization of intangible assets.

Management believes core net income, and the per share and return measures derived from it, give investors a clearer view of results from ongoing operations and make comparisons with other financial institutions easier. The aggregate income tax effect of the adjustments is calculated using the statutory federal rate of 21% and shown in the reconciliation in Table 8. Core return on average assets and core return on average equity are non-GAAP financial measures. We calculate core return on average assets by dividing annualized core net income by average total assets.

We calculate core return on average equity by dividing annualized core net income by average stockholders’ equity, adjusted for the average effect of the core adjustments on equity. The most directly comparable GAAP measures are return on average assets and return on average equity, respectively. Management uses these measures to evaluate how effectively the Company generates earnings from its asset base and equity capital, excluding the items described above, and believes they help investors assess performance across periods and relative to other financial institutions. Reconciliations are included in Table 8.

Core earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial measure we calculate by taking core income divided by the applicable share count. This financial measure is used by financial statement users to evaluate the core financial performance of the Company. Tangible common equity and related measures are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude the impact of intangible assets, net of deferred taxes, and their related amortization. These financial measures are useful for evaluating the performance of a business consistently, whether acquired or developed internally.

Return on average tangible common equity is used by management and readers of our financial statements to understand how efficiently the Company is deploying its common equity. Companies that are able to demonstrate more efficient use of common equity are more likely to be viewed favorably by current and prospective investors. The Company believes that disclosing these non-GAAP financial measures is both useful internally and is expected by our investors and analysts in order to understand the overall performance of the Company. Other companies may calculate and define their non-GAAP financial measures and supplemental data differently.

A reconciliation of GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP measures and other performance ratios, as adjusted, are included in Table 8 in the following press release tables. m. Central Time to discuss the Company's financial results. Those wishing to participate in the conference call should call the applicable number below and reference the Access Code below.

United States (Toll-Free): +1 833-461-5787 Global Dial-In Numbers Access Code: 216 780 149 To eliminate wait times, conference call participants may pre-register using this registration link ( ). After registering, a confirmation with access details will be sent via email. com ( ). Webcast URL: About Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Equity Bancshares, Inc. is a Wichita-based bank holding company. 6 billion as of September 30, 2026. com Additional Information and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed transaction with Lincoln, Equity filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 to register the shares of Equity’s Class A common stock to be issued to the shareholders of Lincoln.

The registration statement includes a proxy statement/prospectus, which will be sent to the shareholders of Lincoln seeking their approval of the proposed transaction. WE URGE INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4, THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS INCLUDED WITHIN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT EQUITY, LINCOLN AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. com or at the SEC’s website at ( ).

, Attn: Investor Relations, 7701 East Kellogg Drive, Suite 300, Wichita, Kansas 67207 or by calling (316) 612-6000.

No Offer or Solicitation This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to subscribe for, buy or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for, buy or sell, or an invitation to subscribe for, buy or sell any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, invitation, sale or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law. Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release 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. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Equity’s management with respect to, among other things, future events and Equity’s financial performance.

These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “positioned,” “forecast,” “goal,” “target,” “would” and “outlook,” or the negative variations of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature.

These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Equity’s industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond Equity’s control. Accordingly, Equity cautions you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict.