Finward Bancorp

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding the financial performance, business prospects, growth

and operating strategies of the Bancorp. For these statements, the Bancorp claims the protections of the safe harbor for

forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this

communication should be considered in conjunction with the other information available about the Bancorp, including the

information in the filings the Bancorp makes with the SEC. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations or

forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. The forward-looking statements are based on

management’s expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are

typically identified by using words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “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. Risks and uncertainties that could cause

actual results to differ materially include: the ability of First Financial Bancorp ("First Financial") and the Bancorp to

complete the proposed merger; the effects of the pendency of the proposed merger with First Financial on the Bancorp and

its business; changes in domestic and international trade policies, including tariffs and other non-tariff barriers, and the

effects of such changes on the Bank and its customers; risks related to the development and use of artificial intelligence

(AI); changes in asset quality and credit risk; the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth; changes in interest rates,

market liquidity, and capital markets, as well as the magnitude of such changes, which may reduce net interest margins;

inflation; further deterioration in the market value of securities held in the Bancorp’s investment securities portfolio,

whether as a result of macroeconomic factors or otherwise; customer acceptance of the Bancorp’s products and services;

customer borrowing, repayment, investment, and deposit practices; customer disintermediation; the introduction,

withdrawal, success, and timing of business initiatives; competitive conditions; economic conditions; and the impact,

extent, and timing of technological changes, capital management activities, regulatory actions by the Federal Deposit

Insurance Corporation and Indiana Department of Financial Institutions, and other actions of the Federal Reserve Board

and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially

from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in the Bancorp’s reports (such as the Annual Report

on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K) filed with the SEC and available at the

SEC’s Internet website (www.sec.gov). All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning matters

attributable to the Bancorp or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary

statements above. Except as required by law, the Bancorp does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking

statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statement is made.

In addition to the above factors, we also caution that the actual amounts and timing of any future common stock dividends

or share repurchases will be subject to various factors, including our capital position, financial performance, capital impacts

of strategic initiatives, market conditions, and regulatory and accounting considerations, as well as any other factors that

our Board of Directors deems relevant in making such a determination. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will

repurchase shares or pay any dividends to holders of our common stock, or as to the amount of any such repurchases or

dividends.