ELBERTON, Ga. & DUBLIN, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 1, 2026-- Vallant Financial, Inc. (OTCQX: VLNT) (“Vallant” or the “Company”) today announced it has completed the merger between Vallant and Morris State Bancshares, Inc. (“Morris”). Vallant was previously known as Pinnacle Financial Corporation and changed its name in anticipation of the merger. On the same date, Pinnacle Bank, subsidiary bank of Vallant, and Morris Bank, subsidiary bank of Morris, completed their merger and changed the legal name of the combined bank to Vallant Bank. Vallant Bank will continue to operate under the names Pinnacle Bank and Morris Bank in their respective markets until a systems conversion and full rebranding is completed later in the second quarter of 2026. The combined company is expected to be the largest Georgia-based community bank holding company with assets of approximately $3.98 billion.

Upon consummation of the merger, each share of Morris common stock was converted into the right to receive 0.1095 shares of Vallant’s common stock. Vallant common stock will trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol “VLNT.” Shareholders interested in trading shares of Vallant common stock are encouraged to contact JWTT Inc., which will serve as a market maker for the shares. JWTT may be contacted by phone at 971-323-0300 or by email at trading@jwttinc.com.

About Vallant Financial

Vallant Financial, Inc. is a $3.98 billion asset, single bank holding company headquartered in Elberton, Georgia and with offices through Northeast, Middle, and Southeast Georgia. Its bank subsidiary, Vallant Bank, has offices in 22 counties of Georgia. Vallant Bank is an independent community bank, offering a wide range of personal and business financial services and currently operates under the names Pinnacle Bank and Morris Bank. Vallant Financial, Inc.’s investor relations website can be accessed at vallantfinancial.com. To learn more about products and services of Vallant Bank, including specialized offerings for all customers, visit pinnaclebank.com and morris.bank.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release may not be based on historical facts and are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by their reference to a future period or periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “could” or “intend.” We caution you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, in that actual results could differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including, among others, the business and economic conditions; risks related to the integration of acquired businesses and any future acquisitions; changes in management personnel; interest rate risk; ability to execute on planned expansion and organic growth; credit risk and concentrations associated with the Company’s loan portfolio; asset quality and loan charge-offs; inaccuracy of the assumptions and estimates management of the Company makes in establishing reserves for probable loan losses and other estimates; lack of liquidity; impairment of investment securities, goodwill or other intangible assets; the Company’s risk management strategies; increased competition; system failures or failures to prevent breaches of our network security; changes in federal tax law or policy; the impact of recent and future legislative and regulatory changes; and increases in capital requirements. We undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this news release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401682230/en/

For additional information, contact:
Anna Grant Jones
Senior Vice President – Marketing Officer
(706) 213-3323

Source: Vallant Financial, Inc.