---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001193125-26-310388"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "FNWD"
cik: "0000919864"
company_name: "Finward Bancorp"
filed_at: "2026-07-21T20:30:46+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-07-21T20:31:09.738909+00:00"
event_type: "m_and_a"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.8
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.8
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# First Financial to acquire Finward Bancorp in all-stock deal valued at 1.35x exchange ratio

## Summary
- Finward shareholders receive 1.35 shares of First Financial common stock per share; deal expected to close Q4 2026.
- Finward has ~$2.0B assets, $1.7B deposits, $1.5B loans, and $412M in assets under management.
- Transaction expected to be ~5% accretive to First Financial's EPS; $500K donation to local communities.
- Termination fee of $9.0M payable by Finward under certain circumstances; boards unanimously approved.
- Expands First Financial's Chicago presence with 24 locations; pro forma deposits in Chicago MSA exceed $4B.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001193125-26-310388
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: FNWD
- cik: 0000919864
- company_name: Finward Bancorp
- filed_at: 2026-07-21T20:30:46+00:00
- event_type: m_and_a
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.8
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.8
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 1.01, 7.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/919864/000119312526310388/0001193125-26-310388-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/919864/000119312526310388/d140760d8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-310388
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-310388.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-310388.txt

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.