ELBERTON, Ga. and DUBLIN, Ga., Jan. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pinnacle Financial Corporation (“Pinnacle”), the holding company for Pinnacle Bank and Morris State Bancshares, Inc. (“Morris”) (OTCQX: MBLU), the holding company for Morris Bank, announced in November a strategic partnership under an exciting new brand name. Today, they are proud to announce Vallant Financial, Inc. will become their unified holding company representing their forward-thinking and deep commitment to community the two companies ...

Core Viewpoint - Pinnacle Financial Corporation and Morris State Bancshares, Inc. announced a strategic merger to create a leading community bank in Georgia with combined assets of $3.8 billion, deposits of $3.3 billion, and loans of $2.8 billion [1][4]. Transaction Highlights - The merger will result in a new company with approximately 54% of shares owned by Pinnacle's shareholders and 46% by Morris' shareholders [4]. - Morris shareholders will receive a one-time special cash dividend of $0.54 per share prior to the transaction's closing [4]. Governance and Leadership - The combined company's Board of Directors will consist of nine directors from Pinnacle and eight from Morris [9]. - Key leadership positions will include Jackson McConnell as Executive Chairman and David Voyles as Chief Executive Officer [9]. Timing and Approvals - The transaction is expected to close by the end of Q1 or early Q2 of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and shareholder consent [10]. Company Background - Pinnacle Financial Corporation is a $2.2 billion asset bank holding company based in Elberton, Georgia, while Morris State Bancshares is a $1.5 billion asset community bank headquartered in Dublin, Georgia [12][14].