Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Check the appropriate box:

Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

NOTICE OF THE

2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

March 10, 2026

To our Shareholders:

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc., a Kentucky corporation, will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, solely by remote communication in a virtual-only format. The meeting will be accessible on the Internet atwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SYBT2026. The items of business to be presented at the Annual Meeting include the following proposals:

The record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting or at any adjournment thereof is the close of business on February 27, 2026.

A list of shareholders of record as of the record date and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be made available for inspection by shareholders for any legally valid purpose related to the Annual Meeting (i) at the principal executive offices of Stock Yards Bancorp, beginning five business days prior to the meeting date and (ii) on the virtual shareholder meeting web site on the date of the meeting.

In order to lessen the environmental impact of our Annual Meeting and increase the ability of shareholders to connect with the Company to gain the information they need, we are furnishing our proxy materials to shareholders over the Internet. We are mailing a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to our shareholders instead of paper copies of these materials. The Notice contains instructions on how to access the proxy materials on the Internet, how to vote your shares and how shareholders can request paper copies of these documents, including the Proxy Statement, our 2025 Annual Report and proxy card, if they prefer.

Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to virtually attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, we hope you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote your shares electronically using your computer, telephone or mobile device. If you request and receive paper copies of our proxy materials, you may also vote your shares by completing, signing, dating and returning the included proxy card in the mailing envelope provided. Instructions regarding each of these methods of voting are contained in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

Thank you for your support of Stock Yards Bancorp. If your schedule permits, I hope you will join us via the live webcast.

By Order of the Board of Directors /s/ James A. Hillebrand James A. Hillebrand Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

PROXY HIGHLIGHTS

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement about the Annual Meeting and is not complete. We encourage you to read the entire Proxy Statement before voting your shares at the meeting. For complete information about our performance and financial results for 2025, please review our Annual Report on Form 10-K which accompanies this Proxy Statement.

Annual Meeting Information

Voting Matters and Board Recommendations

How to Vote Your Shares

You may vote your shares using one of the following methods:

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!

PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE PROMPTLY

Attending the Virtual Annual Meeting

Our 2026 Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual-only format via a live webcast. You will be able to attend the meeting online, vote your shares electronically and submit questions either before or during the meeting by following the information and instructions provided in this Proxy Statement. To attend the Annual Meeting online, simply visit the virtual meeting website atwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SYBT2026. In order to be admitted to the meeting, you will need to enter the 16-digit control number located on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or email notice or, if you received a paper copy of the proxy materials, your proxy card or voting instruction form. For more information about joining the online meeting, go to page 6.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Shareholders Meeting to Be Held on April 23, 2026: The Notice and Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com and on the investor relations page of the Company’s website at https://stockyardsbancorp.q4ir.com.