Investar (ISTR) Emerges as a Leading Dividend Stock: Is It Time to Invest?
Investment Focus: Income investors prioritize generating consistent cash flow from investments, particularly through dividends, which are distributions of a company's earnings to shareholders.
Investar Overview: Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) has a dividend yield of 2%, with an annualized dividend of $0.44, reflecting a 7.3% increase from last year and a payout ratio of 20%.
Earnings Growth Potential: The Zacks Consensus Estimate predicts a 2.12% year-over-year earnings growth for ISTR in 2025, indicating solid financial performance.
AI Investment Trends: The article discusses the potential for significant wealth creation in the next phase of AI development, highlighting the importance of early investment in emerging companies while cautioning that the rapid growth of current AI stocks may stabilize soon.
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Investar Reports Q4 2025 Earnings: $0.58 EPS and $23.47M Revenue
- Earnings Performance: Investar achieved a non-GAAP EPS of $0.58 and revenue of $23.47 million in Q4 2025, reflecting the company's stable profitability in the market, which is expected to boost investor confidence.
- Cost of Funds Decline: As of December 31, 2025, the overall cost of funds decreased by 13 basis points to 2.98%, with deposit costs also falling to 2.91%, which will help enhance the company's net interest margin and improve profitability.
- Loan Growth: Total loans increased by $25.5 million, or 1.2%, reaching $2.18 billion, with the business lending portfolio growing by $31.8 million, indicating the company's active expansion in the commercial lending market, which is expected to drive future revenue growth.
- Stock Buyback Program: Investar repurchased 28,470 shares of common stock at an average price of $23.94 per share during Q4 2025, demonstrating the company's confidence in its stock value while creating additional value for shareholders.

Investar Completes Acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares for $112.9M
- Acquisition Completed: Investar Holding has finalized its acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares, effective January 1, marking a significant step in the company's business expansion strategy.
- Transaction Details: The acquisition involves $7.2 million in cash and 3,955,334 shares of common stock, resulting in an aggregate transaction value of approximately $112.9 million, based on the closing stock price of $26.72 per share on December 31, indicating the company's commitment to the target asset.
- Board Changes: Following the acquisition, former directors David Flack and James Dunkerley from Wichita Falls and FNB were appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company and the Bank, enhancing the governance structure and industry expertise.
- Strategic Implications: This acquisition not only increases Investar's market share but also strengthens its competitive position in the financial services industry by integrating resources and expertise, which is expected to drive future growth.






