UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 001-39442

WESBANCO, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 304-234-9000

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☑ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☑ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

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. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☑

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act.) Yes ☐ No ☑

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s outstanding voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2024, determined using a per share closing price on that date of $27.91, was $1,823,305,547.57.

As of February 20, 2025, there were 66,942,912 shares of Wesbanco, Inc. common stock $2.0833 par value per share, outstanding.

WESBANCO, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

GENERAL

Wesbanco, Inc. (“Wesbanco” or the “Company”), a bank holding company incorporated in 1968 and headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia, offers a full range of financial services including retail banking, corporate banking, personal and corporate trust services, brokerage services, mortgage banking and insurance. Wesbanco offers these services through two reportable segments, community banking and trust and investment services. For additional information regarding Wesbanco’s business segments, please refer to Note 24, “Business Segments” in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco operated one commercial bank: Wesbanco Bank, Inc. (“Wesbanco Bank” or the “Bank”). The Bank has 181 branches and 188 ATM machines located in West Virginia, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, southern Indiana and Maryland. Total assets of Wesbanco as of December 31, 2024 approximated $18.7 billion. Wesbanco Bank also offers trust and investment services and various alternative investment products including mutual funds and annuities. The market value of assets under management of the trust and investment services segment is approximately $6.0 billion as of December 31, 2024. These assets are held by Wesbanco Bank in fiduciary or agency capacities for its customers and therefore are not included as assets on Wesbanco’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Wesbanco also offers additional services through its non-banking subsidiaries:

Wesbanco Insurance Services, Inc. (“Wesbanco Insurance”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wesbanco Bank, is a multi-line insurance agency specializing in property, casualty, life and title insurance, with benefit plan sales and administration for personal and commercial clients.

Wesbanco Securities, Inc. (“Wesbanco Securities”) is a full service broker-dealer, which also offers discount brokerage services.

Wesbanco Asset Management, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wesbanco Bank, holds certain investment securities and a loan in a Delaware-based subsidiary.

Wesbanco Properties, Inc. holds certain commercial real estate properties. The commercial property is leased to Wesbanco Bank and to certain non-related third parties.

FAH, LLC and Flagship Acquisitions Trust, which were acquired in the Old Line Bancshares, Inc. ("OLBK") acquisition and are Maryland limited liability corporations, hold certain real estate properties located in the Maryland area. Each of these entities is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wesbanco Bank.

Wesbanco has eleven capital trusts, which are all wholly-owned trust subsidiaries formed for the purpose of issuing trust preferred securities (“Trust Preferred Securities”) and lending the proceeds to Wesbanco. For more information regarding Wesbanco’s issuance of Trust Preferred Securities, please refer to Note 11, “Subordinated Debt and Junior Subordinated Debt” in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

AMSCO, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wesbanco Bank, which formerly engaged in the management of certain real estate development and construction of 1-4 family residential units. It is in the process of winding up its business activities and will be dissolved.

Wesbanco Bank’s Investment Department also serves as investment adviser to a family of mutual funds, namely the “WesMark Funds.” The fund family is comprised of the WesMark Large Company Fund, the WesMark Balanced Fund, the WesMark Small Company Fund, the WesMark Government Bond Fund, the WesMark West Virginia Municipal Bond Fund, and the WesMark Tactical Opportunity Fund.

As of December 31, 2024, none of Wesbanco’s subsidiaries were engaged in any operations in foreign countries, and only one had any transactions with customers in foreign countries. The Bank also provides letters of credit internationally for certain domestic customers and provides international wire services through a third-party correspondent bank.

WEBSITE ACCESS TO WESBANCO’S FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Wesbanco’s electronic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are made available at no cost on Wesbanco’s website, www.wesbanco.com, through the “Investors” link as soon as reasonably practicable after Wesbanco files such material with, or furnishes it to, the SEC. Wesbanco’s SEC filings are also available through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Wesbanco routinely posts important information on the Company's website in the "Investors" section. Wesbanco may also use its website as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investors section of the website in addition to following Wesbanco's press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls,

presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, Wesbanco's website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Upon written request of any shareholder of record on December 31, 2024, Wesbanco will provide, without charge, a printed copy of this 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K, including financial statements and schedules, as required to be filed with the SEC. To obtain a copy of this report, contact: John Iannone, Wesbanco, Inc., 1 Bank Plaza, Wheeling, West Virginia 26003 (304) 905-7021.

ACQUISITION

On February 28, 2025, Wesbanco completed its acquisition of Premier Financial Corp. ("Premier"). For additional information regarding the Merger, see Note 2, “Mergers and Acquisitions”. In addition, the Merger Agreement is filed as an exhibit to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Premier, headquartered in Defiance, Ohio, is the holding company for Premier Bank. Premier Bank, headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio, operates 73 branches and nine loan offices in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania and also serves clients through a team of wealth professionals dedicated to each community banking branch.

HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES

At December 31, 2024, we employed 2,195 full-time equivalent employees. At that date, the average tenure of all of our full-time employees was approximately 10 years while the average tenure of our executive officers was over 18 years. None of our employees are represented by collective bargaining agreements. We believe our relations with our employees are very good. The safety and care of our employees and their families as well as their communities is paramount for us.

Of our total employees, over 10% or 227 were minorities with 83 or 37% of those officers. Of our 1,134 total officers, 635 or 56% were women. Our overall turnover rate for 2024 was 17%; however, our turnover rate for officers was 10% for 2024.

Our corporate culture has been established by senior management and overseen by our board of directors. Built upon three pillars - Mission, Vision and Pledge, our culture, which is both customer and employee-centric, is focused on growing genuine long-term relationships by pledging to serve all personal and business customer needs efficiently and effectively while embodying respect, creating exceptional customer experiences, ensuring soundness and stability, holding ourselves accountable and being stewards of our communities. Wesbanco completed its second employee engagement survey in the first quarter of 2024 which focused on Wesbanco culture. We were pleased with the number of participants and their feedback.

Wesbanco has been a leader in its communities for over 150 years, and we want to continue to take a leadership role by noting our stance for equality. We are a group with diverse backgrounds and ethnicities and share the same values of dignity and respect for our co-workers, customers, and fellow community members. We have been able to enhance our diversification through the retention of many of the employees we have acquired through our acquisition strategy who bring a strong skill set and a diverse background. Wesbanco achieves diversity in our workforce representation by reflecting the makeup of the communities it serves.

In addition, we have engaged in leadership training for senior and middle management supervisors. We annually assess talent through a specific Talent Development Program to identify, promote and build development plans among multiple levels of management. These efforts have resulted in Wesbanco being designated as one of the “greatest” workplaces.

Our hope is that this not only helps us evolve and grow as a company but that it also spreads to all of our other community efforts. In 2024, Wesbanco provided philanthropic donations and sponsorships totaling over $1.0 million in support of worthwhile organizations serving local communities across our footprint. Further, our employees provided technical assistance services and financial education to over 640 organizations and area schools that resulted in nearly 12,000 volunteer hours in 2024.

COMPETITION

Competition in the form of price and service from other banks, including local, regional and national banks and financial companies such as savings and loan companies, internet banks, payday lenders, money services businesses, credit unions, finance companies, brokerage firms and other non-banking companies providing various regulated and non-regulated financial services and products, is intense in most of the markets served by Wesbanco and its subsidiaries. Wesbanco’s trust and investment services segment receives competition from commercial banks, trust companies, mutual fund companies, investment advisory firms, law firms, brokerage firms, and other financial services companies. As a result of consolidation within the financial services industry, mergers between, and the expansion of, financial institutions both within and outside of Wesbanco’s major markets have provided significant competitive pressure in those markets. Many of Wesbanco’s competitors have greater resources and, as such, may have higher lending limits and may offer other products and services that are not provided by Wesbanco. Wesbanco generally competes on the basis of superior customer service and responsiveness to customer needs, available loan and deposit products, rates of interest charged on loans, rates of interest paid for deposits, and the availability and pricing of trust, brokerage and insurance services. As a result of Wesbanco’s expansion into certain larger metropolitan markets, it has faced entrenched larger bank competitors with an already existing customer base that may far exceed Wesbanco’s initial entry position into those markets. As a result, Wesbanco may be forced to compete more aggressively

for loans, deposits, trust and insurance products to grow its market share, potentially reducing its current and future profit potential from such markets.

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

As a bank holding company and a financial holding company under federal law, Wesbanco is subject to supervision and examination by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve Board”) under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”), and is required to file with the Federal Reserve Board reports and other information regarding its business operations and the business operations of its subsidiaries. Since Wesbanco is both a bank holding company and a financial holding company, Wesbanco can offer customers virtually any type of service that is financial in nature or incidental thereto, including banking and activities closely related to banking, securities underwriting, insurance (both underwriting and agency) and merchant banking. Wesbanco is subject to additional supervision from the Federal Reserve Board and its primary banking regulators due to its exceeding the $10 billion asset threshold and seeks to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to safety and soundness compliance with applicable laws, such as the Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money laundering regulations, and the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), among others, and risk management and internal audit, among other functions, so that the enhanced requirements of the Federal Reserve Board and its primary banking regulators are met.

As indicated above, Wesbanco presently operates one bank subsidiary, Wesbanco Bank, which is a West Virginia-chartered banking corporation which is not a member bank of the Federal Reserve System. It is subject to examination and supervision by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the West Virginia Division of Financial Institutions (“WVDFI”), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) because its assets exceed $10 billion. The deposits of Wesbanco Bank are insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the FDIC. Wesbanco’s non-bank subsidiaries are subject to examination and supervision by the Federal Reserve Board and specifically, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Ohio (“Federal Reserve”) and examination by other federal and state agencies, including, in the case of certain securities activities, regulation by the SEC, the Financial Institution Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and the Securities Investors Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). Wesbanco Bank maintains one designated financial subsidiary, Wesbanco Insurance, which, as indicated above, is a multi-line insurance agency specializing in property, casualty, life and title insurance, with benefit plan sales and administration for personal and commercial clients. As a result of exceeding the $10 billion asset threshold, Wesbanco Bank is subject to enhanced prudential supervision from both the FDIC and WVDFI as part of their large bank supervision program.

Wesbanco is also under the jurisdiction of the SEC and certain state securities commissions for matters relating to the offering and sale of its securities. Wesbanco is subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as administered by the SEC. Wesbanco is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (the “Nasdaq”) under the trading symbol “WSBC” and is subject to the rules of the Nasdaq for listed companies.

Under the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994, as amended (the “Riegle-Neal Act”), a bank holding company may acquire banks in states other than its home state, subject to certain limitations. The Riegle-Neal Act also authorizes banks to merge across state lines, thereby creating interstate banking. Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), banks are also permitted to establish de novo branches across state lines to the same extent that a state-chartered bank in each host state would be permitted to open branches.

Under the BHCA, prior Federal Reserve Board approval is required for Wesbanco to acquire more than 5% of the voting stock of any bank. In determining whether to approve a proposed bank acquisition, federal banking regulators will consider, among other factors, the effect of the acquisition on competition, the public benefits expected to be received from the acquisition, the projected capital ratios and levels on a post-acquisition basis, and the acquiring institution’s record of addressing the credit needs of the communities it serves, including the needs of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operation of the bank under the CRA.

HOLDING COMPANY REGULATIONS

As indicated in “Item 1. Business-General” Wesbanco has one state-chartered bank subsidiary, Wesbanco Bank, as well as four non-bank subsidiaries (excluding capital trusts). The subsidiary bank is subject to affiliate transaction restrictions under federal law, which limit “covered transactions” by the subsidiary bank with the parent and any non-bank subsidiaries of the parent, which are referred to in the aggregate in this paragraph as “affiliates” of the subsidiary bank. “Covered transactions” include loans or extensions of credit to an affiliate (including repurchase agreements), purchases of or investments in securities issued by an affiliate, purchases of assets from an affiliate, the acceptance of securities issued by an affiliate as collateral for a loan or extension of credit, the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance or letter of credit on behalf of an affiliate, certain transactions that involve borrowing or lending securities, and certain derivative transactions with an affiliate. Such covered transactions between the subsidiary bank and any single affiliate are limited in amount to 10% of the subsidiary bank’s capital and surplus, and, with respect to covered transactions with all affiliates in the aggregate, are limited in amount to 20% of the subsidiary bank’s capital and surplus. Furthermore, such loans or extensions of credit, guarantees, acceptances and letters of credit, and any credit exposure resulting from securities borrowing or lending transactions or derivatives transactions, are required to be secured by collateral at all times in amounts specified by law. In addition, all covered transactions must be conducted on terms and conditions that are consistent with safe and sound banking practices.

The Dodd-Frank Act requires a bank holding company to act as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary bank. Under this source of strength requirement, the Federal Reserve Board may require a bank holding company to make capital infusions into a troubled subsidiary bank, and may charge the bank holding company with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to such a subsidiary bank. A capital infusion conceivably could be required at a time when Wesbanco may not have the resources to provide it.

PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS

Dividends from the subsidiary bank are a significant source of funds for payment of dividends to Wesbanco’s shareholders. For the year ended December 31, 2024, Wesbanco declared cash dividends to its preferred and common shareholders of approximately $10.1 million and $90.8 million, respectively.

As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco Bank was “well capitalized” under the definition in Section 324.403 of the FDIC Regulations. Therefore, as long as the Bank remains “well capitalized” or even becomes “adequately capitalized,” there would be no basis under Section 324.403 to limit the ability of the Bank to pay dividends because it had not become undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized. Effective January 1, 2016, Wesbanco Bank and Wesbanco became subject to “capital conservation buffer” rules, phased in over a four year period which ended in 2019, which requires Wesbanco and Wesbanco Bank to have capital levels above the regulatory minimums to pay dividends (discussed below in connection with the Basel III initiative under “Item 1. Business—Capital Requirements”).

All financial institutions are subject to the prompt corrective action provisions set forth in Section 38 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the “FDI Act”) and the provisions set forth in Section 308.201 of the FDIC Regulations. Immediately upon a state non-member bank receiving notice, or being deemed to have notice, that the bank is undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, or critically undercapitalized, as defined in Section 324.403 of the FDIC Regulations, the bank is precluded from being able to pay dividends to its shareholders based upon the requirements in Section 38(d) of the FDI Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1831o(d).

In addition, with respect to possible dividends by the Bank, under Section 31A-4-25 of the West Virginia Code, the prior approval of the West Virginia Commissioner of Financial Institutions would be required if the total of all dividends declared by the Bank in any calendar year would exceed the total of the Bank’s net profits for that year combined with its retained net profits of the preceding two years. Further, Section 31A-4-25 limits the ability of a West Virginia banking institution to pay dividends until the surplus fund of the banking institution equals the common stock of the banking institution and if certain specified amounts of recent profits of the banking institution have not been carried to the surplus fund.

If, in the opinion of the applicable regulatory authority, a bank under its jurisdiction is engaged in or is about to engage in an unsafe or unsound practice which, depending on the financial condition of the bank, could include the payment of dividends, such authority may require, after notice and hearing, that such bank cease and desist from such practice. The Federal Reserve Board has issued policy statements, which provide that insured banks and bank holding companies should generally only pay dividends out of current operating earnings. Under applicable law, bank regulatory agency approval is required if the total of all dividends declared by a bank in any calendar year exceeds the available retained earnings or exceeds the aggregate of the bank’s net profits (as defined by regulatory agencies) for that year and its retained net profits for the preceding two years. As of December 31, 2024, under West Virginia and FDIC regulations, Wesbanco could receive, without prior regulatory approval, a dividend of up to $245.0 million from Wesbanco Bank. Additional information regarding dividend restrictions is set forth in Note 22, “Regulatory Matters,” in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

On February 24, 2009, the Federal Reserve Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation issued Supervisory Letter SR 09-4, “Applying Supervisory Guidance and Regulations on the Payment of Dividends, Stock Redemptions, and Stock Repurchases at Bank Holding Companies,” providing direction to bank holding companies on the payment of dividends, capital repurchases and capital redemptions. Although the letter largely reiterates longstanding Federal Reserve supervisory policies, it emphasizes the need for a bank holding company to review various factors when considering the declaration of a dividend or taking action that would reduce regulatory capital provided by outstanding financial instruments. These factors include the potential need to increase loan loss reserves, write down assets and reflect declines in asset values in equity. In addition, the bank holding company should consider its past and anticipated future earnings, the dividend payout ratio in relation to earnings, and adequacy of regulatory capital before any action is taken. The consideration of capital adequacy should include a review of all known factors that may affect capital in the future. On July 24, 2020, Attachment C was added to SR 09-4 to provide greater clarity regarding the situations in which holding companies may expect an expedited consultation under the process described in SR 09-4. Generally, a holding company considering paying a dividend in excess of earnings for the period (1) must have net income available over the past year sufficient to fully fund dividends, (2) is not considering stock repurchases or redemptions in the current quarter, (3) does not have any concentrations in commercial real estate lending that exceed supervisory thresholds, and (4) is in good supervisory condition, to receive this expedited consultation.

In certain circumstances, defined by regulation relating to levels of earnings and capital, advance notification to, and in some circumstances, approval by the regulator could be required to declare a dividend or repurchase or redeem capital instruments.

FDIC INSURANCE

FDIC insurance premiums are assessed by the FDIC using a risk-based approach that places insured institutions into categories based on capital and risk profiles. Beginning in 2019, Wesbanco Bank is considered to be a large bank for the purposes of the premium calculation because its total assets exceed $10 billion, and it is therefore subject to more continuous oversight by the FDIC. Large banks are subject to a more complex insurance premium calculation with additional loan-related and other risk factors involved which leads to an overall higher rate as compared to that of smaller banks. In 2024, Wesbanco Bank paid deposit insurance premiums of $13.8 million, compared to $11.2 million and $7.2 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in 2024's premiums was due to a combination of an increase in the assessment base and assessment rate. Wesbanco Bank’s assessment base increased approximately 5% to $16.8 billion and the assessment rate gradually increased from 7.8 to 8.5 basis points over the year.

CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS

The Federal Reserve Board had historically issued risk-based capital ratio and leverage ratio guidelines for bank holding companies. The risk-based capital ratio guidelines establish a systematic analytical framework that makes regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banking organizations, takes off-balance sheet exposures into explicit account in assessing capital adequacy, and minimizes disincentives to holding liquid, low-risk assets. Under the guidelines and related policies, bank holding companies must maintain capital sufficient to meet both a risk-based asset ratio test and a leverage ratio test on a consolidated basis. The risk-based ratio is determined by allocating assets and specified off-balance sheet commitments into several weighted categories, with higher weightings being assigned to categories perceived as representing greater risk. A bank holding company’s capital is then divided by total risk-weighted assets to yield the risk-based ratio. The leverage ratio is determined by relating core capital to total assets adjusted as specified in the guidelines. The Bank is subject to substantially similar capital requirements.

The federal regulatory authorities’ risk-based capital guidelines are currently based upon agreements reached by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (the “Basel Committee”). The Basel Committee is a committee of central banks and bank supervisors and regulators from the major industrialized countries that develops broad policy guidelines for use by each country’s supervisors in determining the supervisory policies they apply. In December 2010, the Basel Committee issued a strengthened set of international capital and liquidity standards for banks and bank holding companies, known as “Basel III.” In July 2013, the U.S. federal banking agencies issued a joint final rule that implements the Basel III capital standards and establishes the minimum capital levels required under the Dodd-Frank Act. The rule was effective January 1, 2015, subject to a transition period providing for full implementation on January 1, 2019. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the "EGRRCPA"), enacted into law in May 2018, exempts banks with total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion that exceed the community bank leverage ratio from the capital requirements under Basel III. Wesbanco Bank’s assets are in excess of $10 billion, however, so the exemption is not applicable.

Generally, under the applicable guidelines, a financial institution’s capital is divided into common equity Tier 1 (“CET1”), total Tier 1 and Tier 2. CET1 includes common shares and retained earnings less goodwill, intangible assets subject to limitation and certain deferred tax assets subject to limitation. In addition, under the final capital rule, an institution may make a one-time, permanent election to continue to exclude accumulated other comprehensive income from capital. If an institution does not make this election, unrealized gains and losses will be included in the calculation of its CET1. Total Tier 1 is comprised of CET1 and certain restricted capital instruments, including qualifying cumulative perpetual preferred stock and qualifying trust preferred securities, in their Tier 1 capital, up to a limit of 25% of Tier 1 capital. (See below within this section for more information regarding the capital treatment of trust preferred securities.)

Tier 2, or supplementary capital, includes, among other things, portions of trust preferred securities and cumulative perpetual preferred stock not otherwise counted in Tier 1 capital, as well as perpetual preferred stock, intermediate-term preferred stock, hybrid capital instruments, perpetual debt, mandatory convertible debt securities, term subordinated debt, unrealized holding gains on equity securities, and the allowance for loan and lease losses, all subject to certain limitations. “Total capital” is the sum of Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital.

The Federal Reserve Board has established the following minimum capital levels banks and bank holding companies are required to maintain as a percentage of risk-weighted assets (including various off-balance sheet items): (i) CET1 of at least 4.5%, (ii) Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 6%, (iii) total capital ratio (Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital) of at least 8%; and (iv) a non-risk-based leverage ratio (Tier 1 capital to average consolidated assets) of 4%. The risk-based capital standards are designed to make regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in credit and market risk profiles among banks and financial holding companies, to account for off-balance sheet exposure, and to minimize disincentives for holding liquid assets. Balance sheet and off-balance sheet exposures are assigned to one of several risk-weights primarily based on relative credit risk. The capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk-weightings, and other factors. Additionally, with the final capital rule fully implemented as of January 1, 2019, an institution is required to maintain a 2.5% common equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer over the minimum risk-based capital requirements to avoid restrictions on the ability to pay dividends, discretionary bonuses to executive officers, and engage in share repurchases.

Failure to meet applicable capital guidelines could subject a financial institution to a variety of enforcement remedies available to the federal regulatory authorities, including limitations on the ability to pay dividends, the issuance by the regulatory authority of a

capital directive to increase capital, and the termination of deposit insurance by the FDIC, as well as to the measures described below under “Prompt Corrective Action” as applicable to undercapitalized institutions.

As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco’s CET1, Tier 1 and total capital to risk-adjusted assets ratios were 12.07%, 13.06% and 15.88%, respectively. Wesbanco made a timely permanent election to exclude accumulated other comprehensive income from regulatory capital. As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco Bank’s CET1, Tier 1 and total capital to risk-adjusted assets ratios were 12.67%, 12.67% and 13.58%, respectively, all in excess of the minimum requirements. Neither Wesbanco nor the Bank had been advised by the appropriate federal banking regulator of any specific leverage ratio applicable to it. As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco’s leverage ratio was 10.68% and the Bank’s leverage ratio was 10.35%.

As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco had $131.0 million in junior subordinated debt on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. For regulatory purposes, Trust Preferred Securities totaling $126.9 million underlying such junior subordinated debt were included in Tier 2 capital as of December 31, 2024, in accordance with regulatory reporting requirements. In 2013, the federal banking agencies amended capital requirements to generally exclude trust preferred securities from Tier 1 capital. A grandfather provision, however, permits bank holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $15 billion, which Wesbanco was through September 30, 2019, to continue counting existing trust preferred securities as Tier 1 capital until they mature. The final Basel III capital rule permanently grandfathers trust preferred securities issued before May 19, 2010 for institutions of less than $15 billion in size, subject to a 25% limit of Tier 1 capital. The amount of trust preferred securities and certain other elements in excess of the 25% limit may be included in Tier 2 capital, subject to restrictions. As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco’s total assets were above $15 billion; therefore, all such securities are no longer counted as Tier 1 capital but instead are counted as Tier 2 capital subject to limits. For more information regarding trust preferred securities, please refer to Note 11, “Subordinated and Junior Subordinated Debt” in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The risk-based capital standards of the Federal Reserve and the FDIC specify that evaluations by the banking agencies of a bank’s capital adequacy will include an assessment of the exposure to declines in the economic value of the bank’s capital due to changes in interest rates. These banking agencies have issued a joint policy statement on interest rate risk describing prudent methods for monitoring such risk that rely principally on internal measures of exposure and active oversight of risk management activities by senior management.

PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”) requires federal banking regulatory authorities to take “prompt corrective action” with respect to depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. For these purposes, FDICIA establishes five capital tiers: well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, and critically undercapitalized.

An institution is deemed to be “well-capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8% or greater, a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 5% or greater, and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 6.5% or greater, and is not subject to a regulatory order, agreement, or directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure. An institution is deemed to be “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6% or greater, generally a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4% or greater, and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 4.5% or greater, and the institution does not meet the definition of a “well-capitalized” institution. An institution that does not meet one or more of the “adequately capitalized” tests is deemed to be “undercapitalized.” If the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio that is less than 6%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio that is less than 4%, or a Tier 1 leverage ratio or common equity Tier 1 ratio that is less than 3%, it is deemed to be “significantly undercapitalized.” Finally, an institution is deemed to be “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets that is equal to or less than 2%. As of December 31, 2024, as noted above in “Capital Requirements,” Wesbanco Bank had capital levels that met the “well-capitalized” standards under FDICIA and its implementing regulations.

FDICIA generally prohibits a depository institution from making any capital distribution, including payment of a cash dividend, or paying any management fee to its holding company, if the depository institution would thereafter be undercapitalized. Undercapitalized institutions are subject to growth limitations and are required to submit a capital restoration plan. If any depository institution subsidiary of a holding company is required to submit a capital restoration plan, the holding company would be required to provide a limited guarantee regarding compliance with the plan as a condition of approval of such plan by the appropriate federal banking agency. If an undercapitalized institution fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is significantly undercapitalized. Significantly undercapitalized institutions may be subject to a number of requirements and restrictions, including orders to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized, requirements to reduce total assets, and cessation of receipt of deposits from correspondent banks. Critically undercapitalized institutions may not, beginning 60 days after becoming critically undercapitalized, make any payment of principal or interest on their subordinated debt and/or trust preferred securities. In addition, critically undercapitalized institutions are subject to appointment of a receiver or conservator within 90 days of becoming critically undercapitalized.

GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT

Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (the “GLB Act”), banks are no longer prohibited from associating with, or having management interlocks with, a business organization engaged principally in securities activities. By qualifying as a “financial holding company,” as authorized under the GLB Act, a bank holding company acquires new powers not otherwise available to it. Wesbanco has elected to become a financial holding company under the GLB Act. It also has qualified a subsidiary of the Bank as a financial subsidiary under the GLB Act.

Financial holding company powers relate to “financial activities” that are determined by the Federal Reserve Board, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, to be financial in nature, incidental to an activity that is financial in nature, or complementary to a financial activity, provided that the complementary activity does not pose a safety and soundness risk. The GLB Act itself defines certain activities as financial in nature, including but not limited to: underwriting insurance or annuities; providing financial or investment advice; underwriting, dealing in, or making markets in securities; merchant banking, subject to significant limitations; insurance company portfolio investing, subject to significant limitations; and any activities previously found by the Federal Reserve Board to be closely related to banking.

National and state banks are permitted under the GLB Act, subject to capital, management, size, debt rating, and CRA qualification factors, to have “financial subsidiaries” that are permitted to engage in financial activities not otherwise permissible. However, unlike financial holding companies, financial subsidiaries may not engage in insurance or annuity underwriting; developing or investing in real estate; merchant banking (for at least five years); or insurance company portfolio investing.

DODD-FRANK ACT

The Dodd-Frank Act, enacted on July 21, 2010, and the rules implementing its provisions have resulted in numerous and wide-ranging reforms to the structure of the U.S. financial system. This includes, among other things, rules to promote financial stability and prevent or mitigate the risks that may arise from the material distress or failure of a large bank holding company; enhance consumer protections; prohibit proprietary trading; and implement enhanced prudential requirements for large bank holding companies regarding risk-based capital and leverage, risk and liquidity management, stress testing, and recovery and resolution planning. The Dodd-Frank Act, including current and future rules implementing its provisions and the interpretation of those rules, have affected, and management expects will continue to affect, most of Wesbanco’s businesses in some way, either directly through regulation of specific activities or indirectly through regulation of concentration risks, capital or liquidity.

Certain bank holding companies are subjected to increased capital requirements (discussed above under “Item 1. Business—Capital Requirements”).

The Volcker Rule and the final rules jointly issued by federal banking agencies implementing the rule’s provisions limit Wesbanco’s ability to engage in proprietary trading, as well as its ability to sponsor or invest in hedge funds or private equity funds. The Volcker Rule also includes certain compliance program requirements that apply to banking entities that engage in permissible proprietary trading or permitted covered fund activities. The federal banking agencies recently revised the Volcker Rule compliance requirements, effective January 1, 2020. Under the new rule, banking entities that, together with their affiliates and subsidiaries, have an average gross sum of trading assets and liabilities (excluding obligations of or guaranteed by the United States or an agency of the United States) of less than $1 billion for four (4) consecutive quarters are presumed to be in compliance with the Volcker Rule’s restrictions on proprietary trading and acquisition or retention of ownership interests in covered funds. Consequently such banking entities do not have an affirmative obligation to demonstrate compliance with such restrictions (“limited trading compliance presumption”). Wesbanco meets the limited trading compliance presumption because its gross consolidated trading assets and liabilities have been below $1 billion for four consecutive quarters.

An interim final rule was issued in January 2014 that exempts investments in certain collateralized debt obligations backed primarily by trust preferred securities from the provisions of the Volcker Rule. This interim final rule was effective April 1, 2014 and did not have a material impact on Wesbanco for the year ended December 31, 2024.

The Federal Reserve Board revised the Volcker Rule, issuing a final rule in November 2019. Under the new rule, banking entities with gross consolidated trading assets and liabilities between $1 billion and $20 billion are subject to a simplified compliance program because they are considered to have “moderate” trading assets. The new rule was effective January 1, 2020; however, Wesbanco is not subject to the moderate trading compliance program because Wesbanco has gross consolidated trading assets and liabilities below $1 billion.

Passed in 2011, the Durbin Amendment requires the Federal Reserve to limit fee charges to retailers for debit card processing. The Federal Reserve Board promulgated Regulation II (Debit Card Interchange Fees and Routing) that limits the interchange fees paid by merchants to issuers when their debit cards are used as payment. An issuer is defined as “any person that authorizes the use of the debit card to perform an electronic debit transaction.” The application of the Durbin Amendment is determined by whether the issuer, together with its affiliates, has $10 billion in assets as of the end of the calendar year preceding the date of the electronic debit transaction. An affiliate is defined as “any company that controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with another company.” Therefore, if an insured institution issues a debit card and it, together with its affiliates, has assets exceeding $10 billion, it is subject to this rule.

The rule caps debit card interchange fees (also known as swipe fees) at $0.21 plus an additional 0.05% of the value of the transaction. Previously, the average interchange fee was approximately $0.44 per transaction for an insured institution. Financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets by the year-end assessment deadline are subject to the cap on interchange income in July of the following year. Wesbanco and the Bank were subject to the requirements imposed by the Durbin Amendment because, for purposes of determining whether an issuer has $10 billion in assets, the assets of the institution and its affiliates are combined, effective for transactions beginning in July 2019.

Additionally, section 165(i)(2) of the Dodd-Frank Act, as amended by the EGRRCPA, requires annual company-run stress tests for bank holding companies with total consolidated assets greater than $100 billion.

The Federal Reserve Board regulates bank holding companies, and therefore, if a bank holding company has total consolidated assets of $100 billion or more, it will be required to conduct the Federal Reserve Board stress-tests. Wesbanco Bank, a subsidiary state nonmember bank, is governed by the FDIC. Under the FDIC rule, a covered bank includes “any state nonmember bank . . . with average total consolidated assets . . . that are greater than $10 billion but less than $50 billion.” However, the FDIC proposed a rule in December 2018 to conform this definition to Section 165 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as amended by the EGRRCPA, to state that a “covered bank” is a nonmember bank or state savings association with average total consolidated assets that are greater than $250 billion. Wesbanco Bank has less than $100 billion in average total consolidated assets, and therefore, is not subject to the Federal Reserve Board’s or the FDIC’s stress-test rules.

If the Dodd-Frank Act stress test rules were to apply at some point in the future, Wesbanco would have to assess the potential impact of a minimum of three macroeconomic scenarios—baseline, adverse, and severely adverse—on its consolidated losses, revenues, balance sheets (including risk-weighted assets) and capital. Each scenario includes economic variables, including macroeconomic activity, unemployment, exchange rates, prices, incomes and interest rates. The adverse and severely adverse scenarios are not forecasts, but rather hypothetical scenarios designed to assess the strength and resilience of financial institutions. Additionally, Wesbanco would have to publicly disclose these test results on an annual basis. The required summary of results could be published on Wesbanco’s web site or in any other forum that is reasonably accessible to the public.

As required by Section 165 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve issued a rule that strengthens the supervision and regulation of large U.S. bank holding companies and foreign banking organizations by establishing a number of enhanced prudential standards. These standards include liquidity, risk management, and capital. Under the rule, a publicly traded bank holding company with $10 billion or more in consolidated assets is required to establish an enterprise-wide risk committee. However, the EGRRCPA raised the threshold to $50 billion. To conform the rule to the EGRRCPA, the Federal Reserve Board proposed a rule in November 2018 to increase the threshold to $50 billion. Wesbanco is therefore, currently not subject to the Federal Reserve Enhanced Prudential Standards.

The Dodd-Frank Act made several changes affecting the securitization markets, which may affect a bank’s ability or desire to use those markets to meet funding or liquidity needs. One of these changes calls for federal regulators to adopt regulations requiring the sponsor of a securitization to retain at least 5% of the credit risk, with exceptions for “qualified residential mortgages.”

Publicly traded companies are required by the Dodd-Frank Act to give shareholders an advisory vote on executive compensation, and, in some cases, golden parachute arrangements. Further, SEC and Nasdaq rulemaking under the Dodd-Frank Act requires Nasdaq-listed companies to have a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors. Wesbanco’s Compensation Committee members currently satisfy the independence criteria. The Dodd-Frank Act also called for regulators to issue new rules relating to incentive-based compensation arrangements deemed excessive, and authorized the SEC to adopt rules related to proxy access by shareholders. The SEC has issued proposed rules relating to excessive compensation arrangements that have not been finalized.

All banks and other insured depository institutions now have increased authority to open new branches across state lines (discussed above under “Item 1. Business—Supervision and Regulation”). A provision authorizing insured depository institutions to pay interest on certain business checking accounts may increase Wesbanco’s interest expense. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency created by the Dodd-Frank Act, has the authority to write rules implementing numerous consumer protection laws applicable to all banks (discussed below under “Item 1. Business—Consumer Protection Laws”).

CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS

In connection with its lending and leasing activities, all banks are subject to a number of federal and state laws designed to protect consumers and promote lending and other financial services to various sectors of the economy and population. These laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), the Truth in Savings Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”), the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and, in some cases, their respective state law counterparts. The CFPB has consolidated the authority to write regulations implementing these and other laws. Wesbanco’s other subsidiaries that provide services relating to consumer financial products and services are subject to the CFPB’s regulations. As an institution formerly with assets of less than $10 billion, Wesbanco Bank historically had been examined by the FDIC for compliance with these rules. Through its acquisitions, the Bank’s assets exceeded $10 billion for four consecutive quarters, and in 2019 it came under CFPB supervision and examination. Relating to mortgage lending, the Dodd-Frank Act authorized the CFPB to issue new regulations governing the ability to repay, qualified mortgages, mortgage servicing, appraisals and compensation of mortgage

lenders, all of which have been issued and have taken effect. They limit the mortgage products offered by the Bank and have an impact on timely enforcement of delinquent mortgage loans.

The Dodd-Frank Act also directed the CFPB to integrate the mortgage loan disclosures under TILA and RESPA. The CFPB issued new integrated disclosures rules (“TRID”), which became effective October 3, 2015, and have combined the prior good faith estimate and truth in lending disclosure form into a new form, the loan estimate. They have also combined the HUD-1 and final truth in lending disclosure forms into a new form, the closing disclosure. The rule is extremely complex, contains significant uncertainties as to penalties, some of which can be quite material, contains prohibitions against correcting even technical mistakes, creates uncertainty regarding last minute changes in the transaction and has triggered significant ambiguity in compliance. Thus for covered transactions and most closed-end consumer credit transactions secured by real property, the TRID rules have presented significant and ongoing challenges to real estate lenders. The CFPB issued an interpretive rule in August 2021 providing greater flexibility under the TRID rules, which helped ease some of the challenges that real estate lenders like the Bank face. The rule, however, related only to the COVID pandemic.

Federal law currently contains extensive customer privacy protection provisions. Under these provisions, a financial institution must provide to its customers, at the inception of the customer relationship and annually thereafter, the institution’s policies and procedures regarding the handling of customers’ nonpublic personal financial information. These provisions also provide that, except for certain limited exceptions, an institution may not provide such personal information to unaffiliated third parties unless the institution discloses to the customer that such information may be so provided and the customer is given the opportunity to opt out of such disclosure. Federal law makes it a criminal offense, except in limited circumstances, to obtain or attempt to obtain customer information of a financial nature by fraudulent or deceptive means.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Wesbanco strives to be a leader in community development by positively impacting the communities it serves. Wesbanco has developed responsible strategies to provide targeted investment, deployment of capital, financial education, technical assistance, and innovative products and solutions that will achieve financial inclusion for all. Its vision is to create greater economic opportunities that provide the dignity of affordable housing, the empowerment of financial inclusion, the strength of successful businesses, and the sustainability of vibrant communities.

Wesbanco has proven to be a leader in its communities by providing loans, deposits and other banking services that are responsive to financial needs. The CRA requires Wesbanco Bank’s primary federal bank regulatory agency, the FDIC, to assess its record in meeting the credit needs of the communities it serves, including low and moderate-income neighborhoods and persons. Institutions are assigned one of four ratings: “Outstanding,” “Satisfactory,” “Needs to Improve” or “Substantial Noncompliance.” This assessment is reviewed when a bank applies to merge or consolidate with or acquire the assets or assume the liabilities of an insured depository institution, or to open or relocate a branch office. On November 14, 2022, the FDIC assigned a rating of “Outstanding” for Wesbanco Bank’s community development performance for the period of July 2019 through November 2022. The 2022 exam represented the Bank’s eighth consecutive “Outstanding” CRA rating, spanning a period of more than twenty years. Wesbanco expects its next CRA examination in 2025.

Wesbanco Bank received the “America Saves Designation of Savings Excellence for Banks,” a designation from the national America Saves initiative that recognizes banks that went above and beyond to encourage people to save money during America Saves Week 2024. Wesbanco has been an active participant in America Saves Week since its inception in 2007 and this was Wesbanco’s ninth consecutive designation for savings excellence. In 2024, Wesbanco added the Military Saves and Veterans Saves initiatives to its America Saves programming to help military families meet their special financial goals.

The Wesbanco Bank Community Development Corporation (“Wesbanco CDC”), an affiliate of Wesbanco, was nationally recognized by the American Bankers Association Foundation ("ABA Foundation") with a Community Commitment Award for its New Markets Loan Program, an innovative revolving loan fund for small businesses. The Wesbanco CDC has received four allocations of New Markets Tax Credits to fund the New Markets Loan Program, and has leveraged those funds to make over 240 loans totaling in excess of $184 million for the benefit of businesses located in low-income, economically distressed communities, and creating over 7,100 jobs.

To achieve this level of success, in addition to providing a wide variety of conventional loan and deposit products, the Bank partners with a number of governmental and non-profit agencies to provide special programs to assist customers, especially low- and moderate-income consumers and small businesses, achieve their financial goals. For example, Wesbanco Bank leverages its membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank to sponsor Affordable Housing Program grant applications for non-profit organizations and housing developers, to provide down payment assistance for home mortgage borrowers through the First Front Door and First Front Door Keys to Equity program, and to provide flexible financing options for small businesses, including women- and minority-owned businesses, through the Banking on Business and Banking on Business Inclusion and Equity loan programs. Additionally, Wesbanco has developed its own loan and deposit products to provide financing and savings options with innovative and flexible terms to meet identified needs for underserved persons and in underserved communities. Wesbanco has also been recognized as a leader in community development lending. In the past five years, Wesbanco originated nearly $2.4 billion in community development loans, including over $520 million in 2024. At the heart of the Bank’s successful community development program is its commitment of time and resources to the communities it serves. In 2024, Wesbanco employees provided nearly 12,000 hours of technical assistance and financial education to

over 640 organizations and schools throughout its footprint. Additionally, Wesbanco contributed over $1 million in philanthropic donations and sponsorships in 2024 to worthy organizations serving local communities in Wesbanco’s service area.

SECURITIES REGULATION

Wesbanco’s full service broker-dealer subsidiary, Wesbanco Securities, is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and in the states in which it does business. Wesbanco Securities also is a member of FINRA. Wesbanco Securities is subject to regulation by the SEC, FINRA and the securities administrators of the states in which it is registered. Wesbanco Securities is a member of the SIPC, which in the event of the liquidation of a broker-dealer, provides protection for customers’ securities accounts held by Wesbanco Securities of up to $500,000 for each eligible customer, subject to a limitation of $250,000 for claims for cash balances.

In addition, Wesbanco Bank’s Investment Department serves as an investment adviser to a family of mutual funds and is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC and in some states.

On September 10, 2019, the SEC adopted a new rule, Regulation Best Interest, which establishes a standard of conduct for broker-dealers when they make a recommendation to a retail customer of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities. Regulation Best Interest enhances the broker-dealer standard of conduct beyond existing suitability obligations, and aligns the standard of conduct with retail customers’ reasonable expectations by requiring broker-dealers, among other things, to: act in the best interest of the retail customer at the time the recommendation is made, without placing the financial or other interest of the broker-dealer ahead of the interests of the retail customer; and address conflicts of interest by establishing, maintaining, and enforcing policies and procedures reasonably designed to identify and fully and fairly disclose material facts about conflicts of interest, and in instances where we have determined that disclosure is insufficient to reasonably address the conflict, to mitigate or, in certain instances, eliminate the conflict. The effective date for implementation of the new rule was June 30, 2020.

On December 22, 2020, the SEC adopted a new rule to govern investment adviser advertisements and payments to solicitors. The rule replaces the current advertising rule’s broadly drawn limitations with principles-based provisions designed to accommodate the continual evolution and interplay of technology and advice, and includes tailored requirements for certain types of advertisements. For example, the rule requires advisers to standardize certain parts of a performance presentation in order to help investors evaluate and compare investment opportunities, and includes tailored requirements for certain types of performance presentations. Advertisements that include third-party ratings are required to include specific disclosures to prevent them from being misleading. The rule also permits the use of testimonials and endorsements, which include traditional referral and solicitation activity, subject to certain conditions.

THE USA PATRIOT AND BANK SECRECY ACT

The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “USA Patriot Act”) imposes significant compliance and due diligence obligations, material penalties, and provides for extra-territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued various implementing regulations, which apply certain requirements of the USA Patriot Act to financial institutions, such as Wesbanco Bank and Wesbanco’s broker-dealer subsidiary. These regulations impose obligations on financial institutions to maintain appropriate policies, procedures and controls to detect, prevent and report money laundering and terrorist financing, to verify the identity of their customers, including beneficial owners, and to report suspicious activities and currency transactions of a certain size. Failure of Wesbanco and its subsidiaries to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with all of the relevant laws or regulations, could have serious legal and reputational consequences for Wesbanco and its subsidiaries.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The risks described below are not the only ones we face in our business. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition or operating results could be materially harmed.

RISKS RELATED TO THE ECONOMY AND OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS, INCLUDING REGULATION

Climate change manifesting as physical or transition risks could adversely affect our operations, businesses and customers.

There is an increasing concern over the risks of climate change and related environmental sustainability matters. The physical risks of climate change include discrete events, such as flooding and wildfires, and longer-term shifts in climate patterns, such as extreme heat, sea level rise, and more frequent and prolonged drought. Such events could disrupt our operations or those of our customers or third parties on which we rely, including through direct damage to assets and indirect impacts from supply chain disruption and market volatility. Additionally, transitioning to a low-carbon economy may entail extensive policy, legal, technology and market initiatives. Transition risks, including changes in consumer preferences and additional regulatory requirements or taxes, could increase our expenses and undermine our strategies. In addition, our reputation and client relationships may be damaged as a result of our practices related to climate change, including our involvement, or our clients’ involvement, in certain industries or projects associated with causing or exacerbating climate change, as well as any decisions we make to continue to conduct or change our activities in response to considerations relating to climate change. As climate risk is interconnected with many key risk types, we have developed and continue to enhance processes to embed climate risk considerations into our risk management strategies established for risks such as market, credit and operational risks; however, because the timing and severity of climate change may not be predictable, our risk management strategies may not be effective in mitigating climate risk exposure.

We are in the process of enhancing our climate and environmental, social and corporate governance ("ESG") risk considerations into our risk framework and risk management programs established for strategic, credit, market, compliance, operational and reputational risks. The potential of climate risk is monitored through our risk identification process. Once identified, climate risks are assessed for potential impacts on us and our customers. These future enhancements to our risk framework are in development and will continue to be refined as new climate trends and risks arise.

GLOBAL pandemics COULD adversely affect THE OPERATIONS OF us and our customers.

The spread of global pandemics could create a global public-health crisis, as previously seen with that of the COVID-19 pandemic, that can result in widespread volatility and deteriorations in household, business, economic, and market conditions. Pandemics can cause many state governments to enact social distancing requirements, which could adversely impact the economy due to the vast restrictions and forced closures of non-essential businesses during the quarantine periods. As a result, many of our customers would be adversely affected by business closures, staffing issues and/or other business restrictions. Accordingly, global pandemics may result in a significant decrease in our customers’ business and/or cause our customers to be unable to meet existing payment or other obligations to us. These adverse impacts on the businesses of our customers could cause a material adverse effect to our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN WESBANCO’S MARKET AREAS COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT EARNINGS.

Wesbanco Bank serves both individuals and business customers primarily throughout West Virginia, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, northern Virginia and Tennessee. The substantial majority of Wesbanco’s loan portfolio is to individuals and businesses in these markets. As a result, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Wesbanco are affected by local and regional economic conditions, as well as national economic conditions. A downturn in these economies could have a negative impact on Wesbanco and the ability of the Bank’s customers to repay their loans. The value of the collateral securing loans to borrowers may also decline as the economy declines. As a result, deteriorating economic conditions in these markets could cause a decline in the overall quality of Wesbanco’s loan portfolio requiring Wesbanco to charge-off a higher percentage of loans and/or increase its allowance for credit losses. A decline in economic conditions in these markets may also force customers to utilize deposits held by Wesbanco Bank in order to pay current expenses causing the Bank’s deposit base to shrink. As a result, the Bank may have to borrow funds at higher rates in order to meet liquidity needs. Volatility in oil and gas prices may impact shale gas activity in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, which may somewhat negatively impact local and regional economic conditions, affecting both commercial and retail customers, resulting in potentially lower oil and gas related royalty deposits and potential credit deterioration in the loan portfolio.

WESBANCO COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY CHANGES TO THE FISCAL, POLITICAL AND OTHER FEDERAL POLICIES.

Changes in general economic or political policies in the United States or other regions could adversely impact Wesbanco’s business as well as the Bank’s customers. The current United States administration has indicated that it may propose significant changes with respect to a variety of issues, including international trade agreements, import and export regulations, tariffs and customs duties,

foreign relations, tax laws, corporate governance laws and corporate fuel economy standards, that could have a positive or negative impact on Wesbanco’s business and the Bank’s customers including those in the wholesale and distribution, manufacturing and retail industries.

WESBANCO IS SUBJECT TO EXTENSIVE GOVERNMENT REGULATION AND SUPERVISION.

Wesbanco is subject to extensive federal and state regulation, supervision and examination. Banking regulations are primarily intended to protect depositors’ funds, federal deposit insurance funds and the banking system as a whole, rather than corporate shareholders. These regulations affect Wesbanco’s lending practices, capital structure, investment practices, dividend policy, operations and growth, among other things. These regulations also impose obligations to maintain appropriate policies, procedure and controls. Congress and federal regulatory agencies continually review banking laws, regulations and policies for possible changes. Changes to statutes, regulations or regulatory policies, including changes in interpretation or implementation of statutes, regulations or policies, could affect Wesbanco in substantial and unpredictable ways. Such changes could subject Wesbanco to additional costs, limit the types of financial services and products that could be offered, and/or increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products, among other things. Failure to comply with laws, regulations or policies could result in sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil penalties and/or reputation damage, which could have a material adverse effect on Wesbanco’s business, financial condition and result of operations.

As of December 31, 2024, Wesbanco had $131.0 million in junior subordinated debt presented as a separate category of long-term debt on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. For regulatory purposes, Trust Preferred Securities totaling $126.9 million underlying such junior subordinated debt were previously included in Tier 1 capital in accordance with regulatory reporting requirements prior to December 31, 2019. Rules issued in 2013 generally exclude trust preferred securities from Tier 1 capital beginning in 2015. A grandfather provision permitted bank holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $15 billion to continue counting existing trust preferred securities as Tier 1 capital until maturity. As of December 31, 2019, Wesbanco’s assets were greater than $15 billion; therefore, all such securities are no longer counted as Tier 1 capital but instead are counted as Tier 2 capital subject to limits.

In addition, international capital standards known as Basel III, which were implemented by a U.S. federal banking agencies’ joint final rule issued in July 2013, and effective January 1, 2015, further increase the minimum capital requirements applicable to Wesbanco and the Bank, which may negatively impact both entities. Additional information about these changes in capital requirements are described above in “Item 1. Business—Capital Requirements.”

Regulation of Wesbanco and its subsidiaries is expected to continue to expand in scope and complexity in the future. These laws are expected to have the effect of increasing Wesbanco’s costs of operating and reducing its revenues, and may limit its ability to pursue business opportunities or otherwise adversely affect its business and financial condition. The Dodd-Frank Act and other laws, as well as rules implementing or related to them, may adversely affect Wesbanco. Specifically, any governmental or regulatory action having the effect of requiring Wesbanco to obtain additional capital or increase short-term liquidity could reduce earnings and have a material dilutive effect on current shareholders, including the Dodd-Frank Act source of strength requirement that bank holding companies make capital infusions into a troubled subsidiary bank. Legislation and regulation of overdraft fees and charges, debit card fees, credit cards and other bank services, as well as changes in Wesbanco’s practices relating to those and other bank services, may affect Wesbanco’s revenue and other financial results. Additional information about increased regulation is provided in “Item 1. Business” under the headings “Supervision and Regulation,” “Holding Company Regulations,” “Capital Requirements,” “Dodd-Frank Act,” and “Consumer Protection Laws.”

SEVERE WEATHER, NATURAL DISASTERS, DISEASE PANDEMICS, ACTS OF WAR OR TERRORISM, INTERNATIONAL HOSTILITIES, DOMESTIC CIVIL UNREST AND OTHER EXTERNAL EVENTS COULD SIGNIFICANTLY ADVERSELY IMPACT WESBANCO’S BUSINESS.

The unpredictable nature of events such as severe weather, natural disasters, disease pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, international hostilities, domestic civil unrest and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on Wesbanco’s ability to conduct business. If any of our financial, accounting, network or other information processing systems fail or have other significant shortcomings due to external events, Wesbanco could be materially adversely affected. Third parties with which Wesbanco does business could also be sources of operational risk to Wesbanco, including the risk that the third parties’ own network and information processing systems could fail. Any of these occurrences could materially diminish Wesbanco’s ability to operate or result in potential liability to customers, reputational damage, and regulatory intervention, any of which could materially adversely affect Wesbanco. Such events could affect the stability of Wesbanco’s deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, impair Wesbanco’s liquidity, result in loss of revenue, and/or cause Wesbanco to incur additional expenses.

THE SOUNDNESS OF OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS COULD ADVERSELY IMPACT WESBANCO.

Financial service institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships. Wesbanco has exposure to various industries and counterparties, and Wesbanco routinely executes transactions with counterparties in the financial industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, mutual and hedge funds and other institutions. As a result, a default by, or potential default by, a financial institution could result in market-wide liquidity problems, losses or other financial institution defaults. Many of these transactions could expose Wesbanco to credit risk in the event of default of our counterparty or client. These losses or defaults could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

CURRENT MARKET INTEREST RATES AND COST OF FUNDS MAY NEGATIVELY IMPACT WESBANCO’S BANKING BUSINESS.

Fluctuations in interest rates may negatively impact the business of the Bank. The Bank’s main source of income from operations is net interest income, which is equal to the difference between the interest income received on interest-bearing assets (usually loans and investment securities) and the interest expense incurred in connection with interest-bearing liabilities (usually deposits and borrowings). These rates are highly sensitive to many factors beyond Wesbanco’s control, including general economic conditions, both domestic and foreign, and the monetary and fiscal policies of various governmental and regulatory authorities. Wesbanco Bank’s net interest income can be affected significantly by changes in market interest rates and the shape of the yield curve. Changes in relative interest rates may reduce the Bank’s net interest income as the difference between interest income and interest expense decreases. As a result, the Bank has adopted asset and liability management policies to minimize the potential adverse effects of changes in interest rates on net interest income, primarily by altering the mix and maturity of loans, investments and funding sources. However, even with these policies in place, Wesbanco cannot be certain that changes in interest rates or the shape of the interest rate yield curve will not negatively impact its results of operations or financial position.

In a period of declining rates with a relatively flat or inverted yield curve environment, Wesbanco’s cost of funds for banking operations may not decrease at the same pace as loan and investment yields. The cost of funds may also increase as a result of future general economic conditions, interest rates and competitive pressures. The Bank has traditionally obtained funds principally through deposits and borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB), correspondent banks, and other wholesale borrowing sources. As a general matter, deposits are a cheaper source of funds than borrowings because interest rates paid for deposits are typically less than interest rates charged for borrowings. If, as a result of general economic conditions, market interest rates, competitive pressures or higher deposit betas in relation to increases in federal funds rate increases, the value of deposits at the Bank decreases relative to its overall banking operations, the Bank may have to rely more heavily on borrowings as a source of funds in the future.

SIGNIFICANT DECLINES IN U.S. AND GLOBAL MARKETS COULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON WESBANCO’S EARNINGS.

The capital and credit markets could experience extreme disruption. These conditions result in less liquidity, greater volatility, widening of credit spreads and a lack of price transparency in certain asset types. In many cases, markets could exert downward pressure on stock prices, security prices and credit capacity for certain issuers without regard to those issuers’ underlying financial strength. Sustained weakness in business and economic conditions in any or all of the domestic or foreign financial markets could result in credit deterioration in investment securities held by us, rating agency downgrades for such securities or other market factors that (such as lack of liquidity for re-sales, absence of reliable pricing information or unanticipated changes in the competitive market) could result in us having to recognize other-than-temporary impairment in the value of such investment securities, with a corresponding charge against earnings. Furthermore, our pension assets are primarily invested in equity and debt securities, and weakness in capital and credit markets could result in deterioration of these assets, and changes in certain key pension assumptions based on current interest rates, long-term rates of return and other economic or actuarial assumptions may increase minimum funding contributions and future pension expense. If these markets were to deteriorate further, these conditions may be material to Wesbanco’s ability to access capital and may adversely impact results of operations.

Further, Wesbanco’s trust and investment services income could be impacted by fluctuations in the securities market. A portion of this revenue is based on the value of the underlying investment portfolios. If the values of those investment portfolios decline, the Bank’s revenue could be negatively impacted.

Inflation can also have a significant effect upon interest rates and ultimately upon financial performance. Wesbanco’s ability to cope with inflation and to respond to changing market interest rates, as well as its ability to manage the various elements of non-interest income and expense during periods of increasing or decreasing inflation could have a significant impact on profitability. Wesbanco monitors the level and mix of interest-rate sensitive assets and liabilities through its Asset/Liability Committee ("ALCO") in order to reduce the impact of inflation on net interest income. Management may not be able to control the effects of inflation as needed and the results may adversely impact results of operations.

A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF WESBANCO’S LOAN PORTFOLIO IS IN WEST VIRGINIA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, KENTUCKY, INDIANA, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA AND TENNESSEE AND IN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE. DETERIORATIONS IN ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THESE AREAS OR IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET GENERALLY COULD BE MORE HARMFUL TO THE COMPANY COMPARED TO MORE DIVERSIFIED INSTITUTIONS.

As of December 31, 2024, approximately 20% of Wesbanco’s loan portfolio was comprised of residential real estate loans, and 58% was comprised of commercial real estate loans.

Inherent risks of commercial real estate (“CRE”) lending include the cyclical nature of the real estate market, construction risk and interest rate risk. The cyclical nature of real estate markets can cause CRE loans to suffer considerable distress. During these times of distress, a property’s performance can be negatively affected by tenants’ deteriorating credit strength and lease expirations in times of softening demand caused by economic deterioration or over-supply conditions. Even if borrowers are able to meet their payment obligations, they may find it difficult to refinance their full loan amounts at maturity due to declines in property value. Other risks associated with CRE lending include regulatory changes and environmental liability. Regulatory changes in tax legislation, zoning or similar external conditions including environmental liability may affect property values and the economic feasibility of existing and proposed real estate projects.

The Company’s CRE loan portfolio is concentrated predominantly in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, northern Virginia and Tennessee. There are a wide variety of economic conditions within the local markets of the eight states in which most of the company’s CRE loan portfolio is situated. Rates of employment, consumer loan demand, household formation, and the level of economic activity can vary widely from state to state and among metropolitan areas, cities and towns. Metropolitan markets comprise various submarkets where property values and demand can be affected by many factors, such as demographic makeup, geographic features, transportation, recreation, local government, school systems, utility infrastructure, tax burden, building-stock age, zoning and building codes, and available land for development. As a result of the high concentration of the company’s loan portfolio, it may be more sensitive, as compared to more diversified institutions, to future disruptions in and deterioration of this market, which could lead to losses, which could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of the company.

RISKS INHERENT IN MUNICIPAL BONDS COULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON WESBANCO’S EARNINGS.

As of December 31, 2024, approximately 34% of Wesbanco’s total securities portfolio was invested in municipal bonds. Although Wesbanco’s municipal portfolio is broadly spread across the U.S., any downturn in the economy of a state or municipality in which Wesbanco holds municipal obligations could increase the default risk of the respective debt. In addition, a portion of Wesbanco’s municipal portfolio is comprised of Build America bonds. Due to the government sequester reducing the interest subsidy that the government provides to the issuing municipalities, extraordinary redemption provisions ("ERP") may be executed by the municipality if it is in their favor to do so. There is a risk that when an ERP is executed, Wesbanco may not recover its amortized cost in the bond if it was purchased at a premium. Credit risks are also prevalent when downgrades of credit ratings are issued by major credit rating agencies, which are caused by creditworthiness issues of both bond insurers and the municipality itself. Credit rating downgrades to a non-investment grade level may force Wesbanco to sell a municipal bond at a price where amortized cost may not be recovered. Rising interest rates could also cause the current market values of our municipal bond portfolio to decline as they all have a fixed interest component. Any of the above default risks, early redemption risks and credit risks could cause Wesbanco to take impairment charges, which could be significant, that would negatively impact earnings.

RISKS RELATED TO THE BUSINESS OF BANKING

CUSTOMERS MAY DEFAULT ON THE REPAYMENT OF LOANS, WHICH COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT RESULTS OF OPERATIONS THROUGH INCREASES IN THE PROVISION AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES.

The Bank’s customers may default on the repayment of loans, which may negatively impact Wesbanco’s earnings due to loss of principal and interest income. Increased operating expenses may result from the allocation of management time and resources to the collection and work-out of the loan. Collection efforts may or may not be successful causing Wesbanco to write off the loan or repossess the collateral securing the loan, which may or may not exceed the balance of the loan.

HIGHER FDIC DEPOSIT INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND ASSESSMENTS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT WESBANCO’S FINANCIAL CONDITION.

The insurance premium is based on an assessment rate that utilizes a complex calculation that includes Wesbanco Bank’s CAMELS ratings, its ability to withstand asset-related and funding-related stress and potential loss severity of its assets. The FDIC periodically raises the base rate to ensure the Deposit Insurance Fund ("DIF") is at an appropriate level. If premium assessment rates were to further increase, it would negatively impact Wesbanco’s earnings.

RISKS RELATED TO ESTIMATES AND ASSUMPTIONS

THE CURRENT EXPECTED CREDIT LOSSES ACCOUNTING STANDARD ("CECL") COULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT VOLATILITY OF THE ESTIMATION OF CREDIT LOSSES AND MAY HAVE A MATERIAL IMPACT ON OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION OR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

In September 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting standard update, ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326), “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” which was adopted by Wesbanco as of January 1, 2020 and replaced the former “incurred loss” model for recognizing credit losses with an “expected loss” model referred to as the CECL model. Under the CECL model, we are required to present certain financial assets carried at amortized cost, such as loans held for investment and held-to-maturity debt securities, at the net amount expected to be collected. The allowance for credit losses under CECL is calculated utilizing the PD divided by the LGD, which is then discounted to net present value. PD is the probability the asset will default within a given time frame and LGD is the percentage of the asset not expected to be collected due to default. The primary macroeconomic drivers of the quantitative model include forecasts of national unemployment and interest rates, as well as modeling adjustments for changes in prepayment speeds, loan risk grades, portfolio mix, concentrations and loan growth. Any changes in the model inputs may create more volatility in the level of our allowance for credit losses. Any material increase in our level of allowance for credit losses or expenses incurred to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Wesbanco’s regulatory agencies (FDIC and WVDFI for the Bank and the Federal Reserve for Wesbanco) periodically review the allowance for credit losses. The regulatory agencies’ interpretations may differ from Wesbanco’s interpretations. These differences could negatively impact Wesbanco’s results of operations or financial position.

WESBANCO MAY BE REQUIRED TO WRITE DOWN GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, CAUSING ITS FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS TO BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED.

When Wesbanco acquires a business, a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition is allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The amount of the purchase price which is allocated to goodwill and other intangible assets is determined by the excess of the purchase price over the net identifiable assets acquired. Wesbanco’s goodwill was approximately $1.1 billion or 39% and $1.1 billion or 43% of stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Under current accounting standards, an entity is required to test the carrying amount of a reporting unit's goodwill for impairment on an annual basis. In addition, an entity should also test goodwill for impairment between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying amount. Wesbanco completed such an impairment analysis of goodwill and other intangible assets in late 2024 and concluded that no impairment charge was necessary for the year ended December 31, 2024. Wesbanco cannot provide assurance that it will not be required to take an impairment charge in the future. Any impairment charge would have a negative effect on its shareholders’ equity and financial results and may cause a decline in our stock price.

RISKS RELATING TO THE PREMIER FINANCIAL MERGER

Although we expect that our acquisition of Premier FINANCIAL will result in cost savings, synergies and other benefits, the combined company may not realize those benefits because of integration difficulties and other challenges.

The success of our acquisition of Premier Financial (as here and after defined) will depend in large part on the success of the management of the combined company in integrating the operations, strategies, technologies and personnel of the two companies following the completion of the Merger. The combined company may fail to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of the Merger (as here and after defined) if the integration process takes longer than expected or is more costly than expected. The failure of the combined company to meet the challenges involved in successfully integrating the operations of the two companies or to otherwise realize any of the anticipated benefits of the Merger, including additional cost savings and synergies, could impair the operations of the combined company. In addition, we anticipate that the overall integration of Premier Financial will be a time-consuming and expensive process that, without proper planning and effective and timely implementation, could significantly disrupt the combined company’s business.

Potential difficulties the combined company may encounter in the integration process include the following:

The anticipated cost savings, synergies and other benefits of the Merger assume a successful integration of the companies and are based on projections and other assumptions, which are inherently uncertain. Even if integration is successful, anticipated cost savings, synergies and other benefits may not be achieved.

We have incurred, and will incur, significant transaction-related costs in connection with the Merger.

We have incurred and will incur substantial expenses in connection with the negotiation and completion of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (as here and after defined), as well as the costs and expenses of filing, printing and mailing a joint proxy statement/prospectus, and filing and other fees to be paid to the SEC and other regulatory agencies in connection with the Merger. These fees and costs will be significant. In addition, we have incurred significant costs with respect to the issuance and sale of shares of our common stock to investors in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement that anticipated the Merger.

In addition, we also expect to incur a number of non-recurring transaction-related costs associated with combining the operations of the two companies and achieving desired synergies. Additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the integration of our business with the business of Premier Financial. There can be no assurance that the elimination of certain duplicative costs, as well as the realization of other efficiencies related to the integration of the two businesses, will offset the incremental transaction-related costs over time. Thus, any net benefit may not be achieved in the near term, the long term or at all.

We are subject to business uncertainties and contractual restrictions DURING THE INTEGRATION PROCESS, which could adversely affect our business and operations.

In connection with the Merger, parties with which we do business may experience uncertainty associated with the Merger, including with respect to current or future business relationships with us or the combined business. It is possible that some customers, suppliers and other persons with whom we have a business relationship may delay or defer certain business decisions or might decide to seek to terminate, change or renegotiate their relationships with us as a result of the Merger, which could negatively affect our revenues, earnings and cash flows, as well as the market price of shares of our common stock. In addition, the process of planning and integrating two businesses and organizations for the post-Merger period can divert management attention and resources and could ultimately have an adverse effect on us.

The market price of our common stock may decline in the future as a result of the Merger.

The market price of our common stock may decline in the future as a result of the Merger for a number of reasons, including due to:

These factors are, to some extent, beyond our control. As a consequence, our shareholders could lose the value of their investment in our common stock.

OPERATIONAL RISKS

DUE TO INCREASED COMPETITION, WESBANCO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN BANKING CUSTOMERS AT CURRENT LEVELS.

Wesbanco operates in a highly competitive banking and financial industry that could become even more competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes. Wesbanco faces banking competition in all the markets it serves from the following:

In particular, Wesbanco’s competitors include several major national financial companies whose greater resources may afford them a marketplace advantage by enabling them to maintain numerous banking locations and mount extensive promotional and advertising campaigns. Additionally, banks and other financial institutions may have products and services not offered by Wesbanco such as new payment system technologies and cryptocurrency, which may cause current and potential customers to choose those institutions. Areas of competition include interest rates for loans and deposits, efforts to obtain deposits and range and quality of services provided. Competitively priced deposits from other banks may cause a loss of deposits to be replaced by more expensive wholesale funding. Wesbanco also faces competition from financial technology (“FinTech”) companies, which may more efficiently underwrite and close small business and consumer loans as well as more quickly and efficiently open deposit accounts. In addition to providing products and services traditionally offered by banks, some FinTech companies allow customers to complete financial transactions without the need for bank intermediaries. This could result in the loss of revenue from transaction fees and fewer customer accounts. If Wesbanco is unable to attract new and retain current customers, loan and deposit growth could decrease, causing Wesbanco’s results of operations and financial condition to be negatively impacted.

WESBANCO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXPAND ITS TRUST AND INVESTMENT SERVICES SEGMENT AND RETAIN ITS CURRENT CUSTOMERS.

Wesbanco may not be able to attract new and retain current investment management clients due to competition from the following: