Investar Holding Corporation
- Open
- 29.61
- Day high
- 29.68
- Day low
- 28.53
- Prev close
- 29.87
- Volume
- 347K
- Mkt cap
- $408M
- P/E (TTM)
- 11.4
- EPS (TTM)
- $2.60
- P/B
- 1.0
- P/S
- 2.2
- Yield
- 1.52%
- Per share
- $0.45
- ▲Insiders net buying $55K over the last 3 months (1 open-market buy, 0 sales)
- 🏛Institutions accumulating (13F)
Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) is a Financial Services company listed on NASDAQ. The stock is up 30% over the past year. Over the trailing 3 months, insiders filed 1 open-market buy and 0 sales (SEC Form 4).
Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
ISTR earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2026 | $0.70 | $0.64 | -8.6% | $2M | -95.0% |
| Apr 20, 2026 | $0.69 | $0.87 | +26.1% | $36M | -1.3% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | — | $0.56 | — | $39M | — |
| Oct 20, 2025 | $0.48 | $0.54 | +12.5% | $24M | -1.3% |
| Jul 21, 2025 | $0.40 | $0.47 | +17.5% | $22M | +5.0% |
| Jan 27, 2025 | $0.39 | $0.61 | +56.7% | $23M | +8.4% |
| Oct 21, 2024 | $0.33 | $0.45 | +36.4% | $20M | -1.6% |
| Jul 22, 2024 | $0.30 | $0.36 | +20.0% | $20M | +0.7% |
| Jan 25, 2024 | $0.27 | $0.39 | +44.4% | $20M | -0.7% |
| Oct 19, 2023 | $0.33 | $0.33 | +0.0% | $19M | -2.7% |
| Jul 20, 2023 | $0.38 | $0.67 | +76.3% | $21M | -0.9% |
| Apr 20, 2023 | $0.57 | $0.51 | -10.5% | $22M | -6.1% |
ISTR insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2026 | Jordan Robert Chrisdirector | Buy | 2,000 | $27.36 |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Campbell John Rofficer: Chief Financial Officer | Tax | 1,020 | $27.50 |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Crochet Linda Mofficer: Chief Operations Officer | Grant | 4,563 | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Moore Corey Eofficer: Deputy Chief Financial Officer | Tax | 463 | $27.50 |
| Apr 3, 2026 | D'Angelo John Jdirector, officer: Chief Executive Officer | Grant | 16,324 | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Martin Jeffrey Wayneofficer: Chief Risk Officer | Tax | 1,396 | $27.50 |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Martin Jeffrey Wayneofficer: Chief Risk Officer | Grant | 4,339 | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Campbell John Rofficer: Chief Financial Officer | Grant | 8,694 | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Moore Corey Eofficer: Deputy Chief Financial Officer | Grant | 1,818 | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | D'Angelo John Jdirector, officer: Chief Executive Officer | Tax | 4,158 | $27.50 |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Crochet Linda Mofficer: Chief Operations Officer | Tax | 1,517 | $27.50 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | Jordan Robert Chrisdirector | Buy | 1,550 | $26.85 |
| Mar 3, 2026 | Campbell John Rofficer: Chief Financial Officer | Tax | 259 | $28.23 |
| Jan 29, 2026 | D'Angelo John Jdirector, officer: Chief Executive Officer | Tax | 1,960 | $28.17 |
| Jan 29, 2026 | D'Angelo John Jdirector, officer: Chief Executive Officer | Sell | 26,163 | $28.01 |
Source: ISTR SEC Form 4 filings, latest Apr 27, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full ISTR insider & 13F page →Investar Holding Corporation company profile
Overview
Investar Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:ISTR) is a regional bank holding company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The company operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Investar Bank, which provides commercial banking services primarily to individuals and small-to-medium sized businesses across South Louisiana. Since going public in July 2014, Investar has established itself as a community-focused financial institution serving the Gulf Coast region through a network of 24 full-service branches.
Business
Investar operates in the regional banking industry, which serves as an intermediary between depositors seeking to store and earn returns on their money and borrowers needing capital for various purposes. Regional banks like Investar typically focus on specific geographic markets, allowing them to develop deep relationships with local communities and businesses while maintaining more personalized service than larger national banks. The company's core business revolves around traditional banking activities conducted through two primary segments. The lending portfolio represents the largest revenue generator, comprising approximately 70-75% of total income through net interest income. This includes commercial real estate loans for property investments and development, commercial and industrial loans such as working capital lines of credit and equipment financing, construction loans for both commercial projects and residential properties, residential mortgage lending including first and second mortgages, and consumer loans covering personal installments, auto loans, and home equity products. The deposit and fee-based services segment generates the remaining 25-30% of revenue through various deposit products and ancillary banking services. Deposit offerings include checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Fee-based services encompass cash management solutions like remote deposit capture and ACH services, electronic banking including mobile and internet platforms, and traditional services such as wire transfers, cashier's checks, and merchant card processing.
Competitive moat
Investar's competitive moat is relatively narrow, typical of smaller regional banks operating in concentrated geographic markets. The company's primary defensive characteristics include local market knowledge and relationship banking advantages in South Louisiana, where management's deep community ties and understanding of local economic conditions provide some protection against larger, less-focused competitors. However, this moat faces significant challenges. The banking industry is highly commoditized, with limited ability to differentiate core products like loans and deposits. Regulatory barriers to entry provide some protection, as obtaining banking charters requires substantial capital and regulatory approval, but this mainly protects against new bank formation rather than expansion by existing competitors. Geographic concentration represents both a strength and weakness - while local expertise provides advantages, it also creates vulnerability to regional economic downturns, particularly given South Louisiana's dependence on energy and petrochemical industries. Competitive threats come from multiple directions. Large national banks possess superior technology platforms, broader product offerings, and greater marketing resources. Credit unions benefit from tax advantages and member-focused structures. Fintech companies increasingly provide banking services with lower cost structures and superior digital experiences. Additionally, consolidation pressures in regional banking mean Investar may face acquisition pressure from larger institutions seeking to expand their footprint, potentially limiting long-term independence. The company's moat is best characterized as modest and dependent on continued execution of relationship-focused community banking strategies.
Risks & safety
Investar presents a moderate margin of safety profile with some concerning liquidity metrics but reasonable overall financial stability. • Cash and liquidity concerns: Current ratio of 0.18 indicates potential short-term liquidity pressure, though this reflects typical banking balance sheet structure where deposits (liabilities) far exceed liquid assets • Debt levels: Debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38 is manageable for a bank, indicating reasonable leverage relative to regulatory capital requirements • Solvency risk: Total assets of $2.7 billion against $241 million in equity provides adequate capital buffer, though concentrated in South Louisiana market creates geographic risk • Valuation metrics: Trading at 0.89x book value and 8.8x earnings suggests reasonable valuation, not expensive but not deeply discounted • Profitability trends: 2024 net income of $20.3 million down from $35.7 million in 2022, showing pressure on earnings • Cash generation: Positive free cash flow of $15.4 million in 2024 provides some financial flexibility • Regional concentration risk: Heavy exposure to South Louisiana economy creates vulnerability to energy sector downturns and natural disasters
Recent development
Based on available financial data, Investar has navigated a challenging interest rate environment over the past few years while maintaining its community banking focus. The company experienced peak profitability in 2022 with net income of $35.7 million, which subsequently declined to $20.3 million in 2024 as rising interest rates and economic uncertainty pressured margins and credit quality. The bank has maintained its branch network strategy with 24 full-service locations across South Louisiana, resisting the industry trend toward aggressive branch consolidation. This approach reflects management's belief in the continued importance of local relationships and face-to-face banking in their market. Digital banking capabilities have been enhanced with mobile banking services, remote deposit capture, and electronic cash management tools to compete with larger institutions while maintaining the community bank advantage. Credit risk management has become increasingly important as the bank navigates potential economic headwinds in its energy-dependent market. The company has maintained its focus on commercial real estate and commercial & industrial lending while being selective about credit quality. Deposit competition has intensified as rising interest rates forced banks to increase deposit pricing to retain customers, pressuring net interest margins industry-wide. The strategic focus remains on relationship banking and serving the South Louisiana market's unique needs, particularly in areas like Baton Rouge where the company has established strong market presence. Management continues emphasizing personalized service and local decision-making as key differentiators against larger competitors expanding into their territory.
ISTR company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
Track ISTR with Drillr
SEC filings, earnings calls, insider activity, alt-data signals — all queryable through Drillr's AI terminal and MCP API.
Try Drillr for free