Insider Trading January 29, 2026

Investar CEO Disposes $732,825 of Stock After Option Exercise; Corporate Moves Complete Wichita Falls Deal

John J. D’Angelo sells shares under pre-arranged plan as Investar finalizes acquisition and updates auditors and executive agreements

By Marcus Reed ISTR
Investar CEO Disposes $732,825 of Stock After Option Exercise; Corporate Moves Complete Wichita Falls Deal
ISTR

Investar Holding Corp's chief executive, John J. D'Angelo, sold 26,163 shares on January 27, 2026, raising $732,825 while also exercising options and selling a portion to cover costs. The regional bank has recently closed its acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares, appointed a new independent auditor, and renewed its CFO's employment agreement.

Key Points

  • CEO John J. D'Angelo sold 26,163 shares on January 27, 2026, for $732,825 at prices between $27.87 and $28.30 under a trading plan adopted October 28, 2025.
  • D'Angelo exercised options for 29,070 shares at $14.28, and sold 1,960 of those shares at $28.17 for $55,213 to cover exercise and tax costs; the option vested in five equal annual installments beginning March 1, 2017.
  • Investar completed its acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares for approximately $112.9 million, appointed BDO USA as its independent auditor following HORNE LLP's resignation, and renewed CFO John R. Campbell's employment agreement.

Investar Holding Corp (NASDAQ: ISTR) reported a series of insider transactions and corporate updates in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. On January 27, 2026, Chief Executive Officer John J. D'Angelo executed the sale of 26,163 shares of Investar common stock at prices between $27.87 and $28.30, generating proceeds totaling $732,825.

The Form 4 filing also shows that D'Angelo exercised stock options to acquire 29,070 shares at an exercise price of $14.28 per share. To meet the exercise price and related tax obligations, he disposed of 1,960 of the newly acquired shares at $28.17, a transaction valued at $55,213.

The option in question vested in five equal annual installments starting March 1, 2017, and, according to the filing, is fully exercisable for all 29,070 shares. The trades were carried out under a pre-arranged trading plan the CEO adopted on October 28, 2025. The filing specifies that the sales were made for personal estate and tax planning purposes.


On valuation and performance metrics, InvestingPro data cited in the filing indicates Investar carries a market capitalization of $388 million and that its shares have advanced almost 50% over the past year. The stock is trading slightly above InvestingPro's Fair Value estimate and the company posts a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.7. The firm has maintained dividend payments for 12 consecutive years.

Analyst targets referenced in the filing range from $32.50 to $34.00. The filing notes the stock has shown a strong return over the last three months and directs investors to additional InvestingPro resources for deeper financial metrics and tips.


Separately, Investar disclosed completion of its acquisition of Wichita Falls Bancshares, the parent company of First National Bank in Texas. The transaction was valued at approximately $112.9 million and included both cash and stock components. Following the closing, Investar updated its financial disclosures to reflect consolidated financial statements that have been filed with the SEC.

Investar also announced an auditor change: BDO USA has been appointed as the company's new independent auditor after the resignation of HORNE LLP. The company's Audit Committee approved the change in auditors.

In addition, the company renewed the employment agreement with its chief financial officer, John R. Campbell. The renewed agreement includes a base salary and the potential for incentive compensation. Investar said it had obtained the necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals required to complete the Wichita Falls acquisition.


These filings document both insider activity by the CEO and a set of corporate governance and integration steps tied to Investar's recent acquisition and reporting arrangements.

Risks

  • Insider sale undertaken for estate and tax planning purposes could be interpreted variably by market participants - impacts the regional banking sector and investor sentiment.
  • Change in independent auditor from HORNE LLP to BDO USA introduces a transition in audit oversight - relevant to financial reporting and compliance in the financial services sector.
  • Acquisition integration and consolidation of Wichita Falls Bancshares may carry execution and disclosure risks as Investar updates consolidated financial statements - affecting regional banking operations and investor assessment.

More from Insider Trading

Symbotic Accounting Chief Disposes $457,722 in Shares as Company Prices 10M-Share Offering; Goldman Lowers Rating Feb 2, 2026 Wintrust Financial EVP Sells 5,000 Shares as Firm Announces Dividend Hike and Multiple Price-Target Upgrades Jan 30, 2026 Cantor Fitzgerald Affiliates Dispose of Satellogic Shares in $2.94M Transaction Block Jan 30, 2026 Navan Interim CFO Executes $37,044 Sell-to-Cover Transaction Jan 30, 2026 Bluescape entity disposes of $4.2M in Riley Exploration stock amid company asset sale and capital actions Jan 30, 2026