HORIZON BANCORP INC /IN/

This report contains certain forward–looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (“Horizon” or the “Company”) and Horizon Bank (the “Bank”). Horizon intends such forward–looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward–looking statements contained in the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995, and is including this statement for the purposes of these safe harbor provisions. Statements in this report should be considered in conjunction with the other information available about Horizon, including the information in the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward–looking statements are based on management’s expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project", “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “could,” “will” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward–looking statements are reasonable, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.

Actual results may differ materially, adversely or positively, from the expectations of the Company that are expressed or implied by any forward–looking statement. Risks, uncertainties, and factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by any forward–looking statement include but are not limited to:

•current financial conditions within the banking industry;

•changes in the level and volatility of interest rates, spreads on earning assets and interest bearing liabilities, and interest rate sensitivity;

•loss of key Horizon personnel;

•changes within the domestic and international macroeconomic environment, including trade policy, monetary and fiscal policy, and inflation levels.

•the increasing use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies and/or stable coin and the possible impact these alternative currencies may have on deposit disintermediation and income derived from payment systems;

•the effect of interest rates on net interest rate margin and their impact on mortgage loan volumes and the outflow of deposits;

•increases in disintermediation, as new technologies allow consumers to complete financial transactions without the assistance of banks;

•potential loss of fee income, including interchange fees, as new and emerging alternative payment platforms (e.g., Apple Pay or Bitcoin) take a greater market share of the payment systems;

•estimates of fair value of certain of Horizon’s assets and liabilities;

•volatility and disruption in financial markets;

•changes in prepayment speeds, loan originations, credit losses and market values, collateral securing loans and other assets;

•changes in sources of liquidity;

•potential risk of environmental liability related to lending and acquisition activities;

•changes in the competitive environment in Horizon’s market areas and among other financial service providers;

•legislation and/or regulation affecting the financial services industry as a whole, and Horizon and its subsidiaries in particular;

•changes in regulatory supervision and oversight, including monetary policy and capital requirements;

•changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be adopted and required by regulatory agencies;

•litigation, regulatory enforcement, tax, and legal compliance risk and costs, as applicable generally and specifically to the financial and fiduciary (generally and as an ESOP fiduciary) environment, especially if materially different from the amount we expect to incur or have accrued for, and any disruptions caused by the same;

•the effects and costs of governmental investigations or related actions by third parties;

•rapid technological developments and changes;

•the risks presented by cyber terrorism and data security breaches;

•the rising costs of effective cybersecurity;

•containing costs and expenses;

•the ability of the U.S. federal government to manage federal debt limits;

•the potential influence on the U.S. financial markets and economy from the effects of climate change and social justice initiatives;

•the risks of expansion through mergers and acquisitions, including unexpected credit quality problems with acquired loans, difficulty integrating acquired operations and material differences in the actual financial results of such transactions compared with Horizon’s initial expectations, including the full realization of anticipated cost savings; and

•acts of terrorism, war and global conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, and the potential impact they may have on supply chains, the availability of commodities, commodity prices, inflationary pressure and the overall U.S. and global financial markets.

The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward–looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this document or, in the case of documents incorporated by reference, the dates of those documents. We do not undertake to update any forward–looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf. The “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of this Form 10–K details some of the factors that could cause Horizon’s actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward–looking statements. We direct your attention to this discussion.

Other risks and uncertainties that could affect Horizon’s future performance are set forth below in Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”