ALERUS FINANCIAL CORP (ALRS)

ITEM 2 – MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

General

The following discussion explains the Company’s financial condition and results of operations as of and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. Annualized results for this interim period may not be indicative of results for the full year or future periods. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes presented elsewhere in this report and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 4, 2026.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements concerning plans, estimates, calculations, forecasts and projections with respect to the anticipated future performance of Alerus Financial Corporation. These statements are often, but not always, identified by words such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “would,” “annualized,” “target” and “outlook,” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements the Company makes regarding the Company’s projected growth, anticipated future financial performance, financial condition, credit quality, management’s long-term performance goals and the future plans and prospects of Alerus Financial Corporation.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on the Company’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the Company’s business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent known and unknown uncertainties, risks, changes in circumstances, and other factors that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

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Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this report is based only on information currently available to the Company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Overview

The Company is a commercial wealth advisory services bank and national retirement and benefit services provider headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Through the Company’s subsidiary, Alerus Financial, National Association, the Company provides financial solutions to businesses and consumers through three distinct business lines—banking, retirement and benefit services, and wealth advisory services. These solutions are delivered through a relationship‑oriented primary point of contact along with responsive and client‑friend

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the “Selected Financial Data” and the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report. In addition to historical information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to those set forth under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report, may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

Results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to results for the year ended December 31, 2023 can be found in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 14, 2025.

Overview

The Company is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Through the Company’s subsidiary, Alerus Financial, National Association, the Company provides innovative and comprehensive financial solutions to businesses and consumers through three distinct business lines—banking, retirement and benefit services, and wealth. In prior periods, the Company had a fourth operating segment, mortgage. As of January 1, 2024, the mortgage division was fully integrated into the banking division to reflect the way the Company currently manages and views the business. These solutions are delivered through a relationship oriented primary point of contact along with responsive and client friendly technology.

The Company’s primary banking market areas are the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, specifically, the Twin Cities MSA and Rochester MSA, and Arizona, specifically, the Phoenix MSA. In addition to the Company’s offices located in the Company’s banking markets, its retirement and benefit services business administers plans in all 50 states through offices located in Minnesota and Colorado.

The Company’s business model produces strong financial performance and a diversified revenue stream, which has helped the Company establish a brand and culture yielding both a loyal client base and passionate and dedicated employees. The Company believes its client first and advice based philosophy, diversified business model and history of high performance and growth distinguishes the Company from other financial service providers. The Company generates a majority of its overall revenue from noninterest income, which is driven primarily by the Company’s retirement and benefit services and wealth business lines.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $5.2 billion of total assets, $4.0 billion of total loans, $4.2 billion of total deposits, $564.9 million of stockholders’ equity, $44.9 billion of assets under administration/management in the Company’s retirement and benefit services segment, and $4.9 billion of assets under administration/management in the Company’s wealth segment.

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Net Interest Income

Net interest income represents interest income less interest expense. The Company generates interest income on interest-earning assets, primarily loans and available-for-sale securities. The Company incurs interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, primarily interest-bearing deposits and borrowings. To evaluate net interest income, the Company measures and monitors: (i) yields on loans, available-for-sale securities and other interest-earning assets; (ii) the costs of deposits and other funding sources; (iii) the rates incurred on borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities; and (iv) the regulatory risk weighting associated with the assets. Interest income is primarily impacted by loan growth and loan repayments, along with changes in interest rates on the loans. Interest expense is primarily impacted by changes in deposit balances along with the volume and type of interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income is primarily impacted by changes in market interest rates, the slope of the yield curve, and interest the Company earns on interest-earning assets or pay on interest-bearing liabilities.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income primarily consists of the following:

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense is comprised primarily of the following:

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Operating Segments

The Company measures the overall profitability of business operations based on income before income tax. The Company allocates costs to its segments, which consist primarily of compensation and overhead expense directly attributable to the products and services within banking, retirement and benefit services and wealth. The Company measures the profitability of each segment based on the direct and indirect allocations of expense as it believes it better approximates the contribution generated by the Company’s reportable operating segments. All indirect overhead allocations to each segment are determined by management based on an annual review of department expenses. Income tax expense is allocated to corporate administration. A description of each segment is provided in Note 22 (Segment Reporting) to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Critical Accounting Policies

As a result of the complex and dynamic nature of the Company’s business, management m

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