8-K

UNITED STATESSECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORTPursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: January 30, 2026

(Date of earliest event reported)

PEOPLES FINANCIAL SERVICES CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)

30 E D Preate Drive, Moosic, PA 18507

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(570) 346-7741

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (See General Instruction A.2. below):

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).              Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

On January 30, 2026, Thomas P. Tulaney notified Peoples Financial Services Corp. of his retirement from his roles as President of Peoples Financial Services Corp. and President and Director of Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company, effective April 3, 2026.

On January 30, 2026, Peoples Financial Services Corp. issued a press release announcing the retirement of Thomas P. Tulaney from his roles as President of Peoples Financial Services Corp. and President and Director of Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company, effective April 3, 2026. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

(d) Exhibits

The following exhibits are filed with this form 8-K:

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: January 30, 2026

Exhibit 99.1

Peoples Financial Services Corp. Announces Retirement of PresidentThomas P. Tulaney

MOOSIC, PA — January 30, 2026 — Peoples Financial Services Corp. (“PFIS" or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PFIS), the bank holding company for Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company (the “Bank”), announced today that Thomas P. Tulaney has informed the Company of his retirement from his roles as President of PFIS and President and Director of the Bank, effective April 3, 2026.

Mr. Tulaney was most recently appointed President of both PFIS and the Bank effective January 1, 2025. In this role, he worked closely with the Board of Directors, CEO and executive leadership team to strengthen the Bank’s financial performance, drive sustainable growth, and create long-term value for shareholders.

With over 40 years of banking experience, Mr. Tulaney has served as a trusted partner to clients, employees and the community. He always represented himself with professionalism and integrity. Mr. Tulaney was a leader in developing the Bank’s brand, culture, image, and reputation.

Following his retirement, Mr. Tulaney is expected to continue to serve the Company and Bank in a Senior Advisor role. In this capacity, he will assist in leadership transition, provide strategic assistance, and remain involved in customer relationships and community development as needed.

Subject to further review and recommendation of the Company’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, it is anticipated that Gerard A. Champi, Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank, will also assume the role of the President of the Company and the Bank upon Mr. Tulaney’s retirement.

About Peoples:

Peoples Financial Services Corp. is the bank holding company of Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company, an independent community bank serving its retail and commercial customers through 40 full-service community banking offices located within Allegheny, Bucks, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties in Pennsylvania, Middlesex County in New Jersey and Broome County in New York. Each office, interdependent with the community, offers a comprehensive array of financial products and services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and government entities. Peoples’ business philosophy includes offering direct access to senior management and other officers and providing friendly, informed and courteous service, and local and timely decision making. For more information visit psbt.com.

SOURCE: Peoples Financial Services Corp.

Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements:

We make statements in this press release, and we may from time to time make other statements regarding our outlook or expectations for future financial or operating results and/or other matters regarding or affecting Peoples Financial Services Corp. and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Peoples”) and other statements that are not historical facts that are considered “forward-looking statements” as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of such words as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “planned,” “estimated,” “intend” and “potential.” For these statements, Peoples claims the protection of the statutory safe harbors for forward-looking statements.

Peoples cautions you that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated in any forward-looking statement. Such factors include, but are not limited to: macroeconomic trends, including interest rates and inflation and their effect on our investment values; the effects of any recession in the United States; political instability and the consequences thereof, such as the recent shutdown of the U.S. federal government; the impact on financial markets from geopolitical conflict, including from wars, military conflict or trade policies, including tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, tariff counter-measures, or the threat of such actions; impairment charges relating to our investment portfolio; credit risks in connection with our lending activities; the economic health of our market area; our exposure to commercial and industrial, construction, commercial real estate, and equipment finance loans; our ability to maintain an adequate allowance for credit losses; access to liquidity; the strength of our customer deposit levels; unrealized losses; reliance on our subsidiaries; accounting procedures, policies and requirements; changes in the value of goodwill; future pension plan costs; our ability to retain key personnel; the strength of our disclosure controls and procedures; environmental liabilities; reliance on third-party vendors and service providers; competition from non-bank entities; the development and use of AI in business processes, services, and products; our ability to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents; a failure of information technology, whether due to a breach, cybersecurity incident, or ability to keep pace with growth and developments; our ability to comply with privacy and data protection requirements; changes in U.S. or regional economic conditions; our ability to compete effectively in our industry; the soundness of other financial institutions; adverse changes (or the threat of such changes) in laws and regulations; fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government and its agencies; a failure to meet minimum capital requirements; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the FNCB merger; future acquisitions or a change in control; and other factors that may be described in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.

The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and, except as may be required byapplicable law or regulation, Peoples assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.