SHORE BANCSHARES INC (SHBI)

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Unless the context clearly suggests otherwise, references to “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” in the remainder of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are to Shore Bancshares, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements (as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) based on management’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. Such statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of the Company. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be the same as those anticipated by management. These statements are evidenced by terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “should,” “could,” or “may.” Although forward-looking statements reflect management’s good faith beliefs and projections, they are not guarantees of future performance and they may not prove true. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. While there is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, below are certain factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in the forward-looking statements:

•the strength of the United States (“U.S.”) economy and general economic conditions, (including the interest rate environment, government economic and monetary policies, the strength of global financial markets and inflation/deflation and supply chain issues), whether national or regional, and conditions in the lending markets in which we participate that may have an adverse effect on the demand for our loans and other products, our credit quality and related levels of nonperforming assets and loan losses, and the value and salability of the real estate that we own or that is the collateral for our loans;

•the ability to effectively manage the information technology systems, including third-party vendors, cyber or data privacy incidents or other failures, disruptions or security breaches, and risk related to the development and use of artificial intelligence;

•the ability to develop and use technologies to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands;

•results of examinations of us by our regulators, including the possibility that our regulators may, among other things, require us to increase our reserve for loan losses or to write-down assets;

•changing bank regulatory conditions, policies or programs, whether arising as new legislation or regulatory initiatives, which could lead to restrictions on activities of banks generally, or our subsidiary bank in particular, more restrictive regulatory capital requirements, increased costs, including deposit insurance premiums, regulation or prohibition of certain income producing activities or changes in the secondary market for loans and other products;

•changes in market rates and prices may adversely impact the value of securities, loans, deposits and other financial instruments and the interest rate sensitivity of our balance sheet;

•our liquidity requirements could be adversely affected by changes in our assets and liabilities;

•our ability to prudently manage our growth and execute our strategy;

•impairment of our goodwill and intangible assets;

•competitive factors among financial services organizations, including product and pricing pressures and our ability to attract, develop and retain qualified banking professionals;

•the effect of acquisitions we have made or may make, including, without limitation, the failure to achieve the expected revenue growth and/or expense savings from such acquisitions, and/or the failure to effectively integrate an acquisition target into our operations;

•the growth and profitability of noninterest or fee income being less than expected;

•the effect of legislative or regulatory developments, including changes in laws concerning taxes, banking, securities, insurance and other aspects of the financial services industry;

•the effect of any change in federal government enforcement of federal laws affecting the cannabis industry;

•the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and other regulatory agencies;

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•changes in U.S. trade policies, including the implementation of tariffs and other protectionist trade policies;

•the impact of governmental efforts to restructure or adjust the U.S. financial regulatory system;

•the impact of recent or future changes in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) insurance assessment rate or the rules and regulations related to the calculation of the FDIC insurance assessment amount, including any special assessments;

•the effects of federal government shutdowns, debt ceiling standoff, or other uncertainty regarding fiscal and governmental policies of the U.S. federal government;

•climate change and other catastrophic events or disasters;

•geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism, actions taken by the United States or other governments in response to acts of terrorism, and/or military conflicts, which could impact business and economic conditions in the United States and abroad;

•and other factors that may affect our future results.

Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (the “2025 Annual Report”) filed with SEC and available at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). The information on, or accessible through, our website or any other website cited in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is not part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and should not be relied upon in determining whether to make an investment decision.

The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any factors or to publicly announce the result of revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments.

INTRODUCTION

The following management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is intended as a review of significant factors affecting the Company’s financial condition and results of operations for the periods indicated. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes presented elsewhere in this report, as well as the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the 2025 Annual Report.

Shore Bancshares, Inc. is headquartered on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It is the parent company of Shore United Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”). The Bank currently operates 40 full-service branches in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. The Company, through Wye Financial Partners, a division of the Bank, offers full-service investment, insurance and financial planning services through LPL Financial. The Company, through Wye Trust, a division of the Bank, offers wealth management, corporate trustee services and trust administration to customers within our market areas and nationwide.

The shares of common stock of Shore Bancshares, Inc. are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SHBI.”

Shore Bancshares, Inc. maintains an Internet site at www.shorebancshares.com on which it makes available free of charge its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to the foregoing as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and follow general practices within the industries in which it operates. Application of these principles requires management to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates, assumptions, and judgments are based on information available as of the date of the financial statements; accordingly, as this information changes, the financial statements could reflect different estimates, assumptions, and judgments. Certain policies inherently have a greater reliance on the use of estimates, assumptions, and judgments and as such have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported.

The Company’s most significant accounting policies are presented in Note 1 – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8 of the 2025 Annual Report. These policies, along with the disclosures presented in the notes to consolidated financial statements and in this management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, provide information on how significant assets and liabilities are valued in the financial statements and how those values are determined. Based on the valuation techniques used and the sensitivity of financial statement amounts to the methods, assumptions, and estimates underlying those amounts, management has determined that the accounting policy for the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) on loans is a critical accounting policy. This policy is considered critical because it relates to an accounting area that requires the most subjective or complex judgments, and, as such, could be most subject to revision as new information becomes available.

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Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans

The ACL represents management’s best estimate of expected lifetime credit losses within the Company’s loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The ACL is established through a provision for credit losses and is increased by recoveries of loans previously charged off. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management’s assessments confirm that the Company will not collect the full amortized cost basis of a loan. The calculation of expected credit losses is determined using a cash flow methodology, and includes considerations of historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable economic forecasts that may affect collection of the recorded balances. The Company assesses an ACL to groups of loans which share similar risk characteristics or on an individual basis, as deemed appropriate. Changes in the ACL on loans and the related provision for credit losses can materially affect financial results. Although the overall balance is determined based on specific portfolio segments and individually assessed assets, the entire balance is available to absorb credit losses for loans in the portfolio.

The determination of the appropriate level of the ACL on loans inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires the Company to make significant judgments concerning credit risks and trends using quantitative and qualitative information, as well as reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions, all of which may undergo frequent an

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

The following discussion compares the Company’s financial condition at December 31, 2025 to its financial condition at December 31, 2024 and the results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The discussion comparing the Company’s financial condition at December 31, 2024 to its financial condition at December 31, 2023 and the results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and follow general practices within the industries in which it operates. Application of these principles requires management to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates, assumptions, and judgments are based on information available as of the date of the financial statements; accordingly, as this information changes, the financial statements could reflect different estimates, assumptions, and judgments. Certain policies inherently have a greater reliance on the use of estimates, assumptions, and judgments and as such have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported.

The Company’s most significant accounting policies are presented in Note 1 – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These policies, along with the disclosures presented in the notes to consolidated financial statements and in this management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, provide information on how significant assets and liabilities are valued in the financial statements and how those values are determined. Based on the valuation techniques used and the sensitivity of financial statement amounts to the methods, assumptions, and estimates underlying those amounts, management has determined that the accounting policy for the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) on loans is a critical accounting policy. This policy is considered critical because it relates to an accounting area that requires the most subjective or complex judgments, and, as such, could be most subject to revision as new information becomes available.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans

The ACL represents management’s best estimate of expected lifetime credit losses within the Company’s loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The ACL is established through a provision for credit losses and is increased by recoveries of loans previously charged off. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management’s assessments confirm that the Company will not collect the full amortized cost basis of a loan. The calculation of expected credit losses is determined using a cash flow methodology, and includes considerations of historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable economic forecasts that may affect collection of the recorded balances. The Company assesses an ACL to groups of loans which share similar risk characteristics or on an individual basis, as deemed appropriate. Changes in the ACL on loans and the related provision for credit losses can materially affect financial results. Although the overall balance is determined based on specific portfolio segments and individually assessed assets, the entire balance is available to absorb credit losses for loans in the portfolio.

The determination of the appropriate level of the ACL on loans inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires the Company to make significant judgments concerning credit risks and trends using quantitative and qualitative information, as well as reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions, all of which may undergo frequent and significant changes. Changes in conditions, including unforeseen events, changes in asset-specific risk characteristics, and other economic factors, both within and outside the Company’s control, may indicate the need for an increase or decrease in the ACL on loans. While management seeks to utilize the best information available in making its assessment of the ACL estimate, the estimation process is inherently challenging as potential changes in any one factor or input may occur at different rates and/or impact pools of loans in different ways. Further, changes in factors and inputs may also be directionally inconsistent, such that improvement in one factor may offset deterioration in others.

The Company’s management reviews the adequacy of the ACL on loans on at least a quarterly basis. Refer to Note 1 – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details concerning the determination of the ACL on loans.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS

The notes to consolidated financial statements discuss the expected impact of accounting policies recently issued or proposed but not yet required to be adopted. To the extent the adoption of new accounting standards materially affects our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity, the impacts are discussed in the applicable section(s) of this discussion and notes to consolidated financial statements.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Summary of Financial Results

The Company reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2025 of $59.5 million, or $1.78 diluted earnings per common share, compared to $43.9 million, or $1.32 diluted earnings per common share, for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s return on average assets, return on average common equity and return on average tangible common equity were 0.98%, 10.52% and 14.09%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 0.74%, 8.35% and 12.21%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2024. For additional details, see “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures.” The increase in net income in 2025 compared to 2024 was primarily due to higher net interest income (“NII”) driven by loan growth in 2025 coupled with loans and deposits repricing favorably. These were partially offset by a higher provision for credit losses of $3.6 million.

The following table presents selected consolidated statement of operations data for each of the periods indicated.

A comparison of key operating ratios and common share data for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 is presented below.

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(1)ROAA – non-GAAP is computed by dividing (i) net income (excluding net of tax adjustments for the amortization of other intangible assets, credit card fraud losses and the sale and fair value of held for sale assets) by (ii) average assets.

(2)ROATCE is computed by dividing net earnings applicable to common stockholders by average tangible common equity. ROATCE is a non-GAAP measure and may not be comparable to similar non-GAAP measures used by other companies. Refer to Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures for additional details.

(3)Efficiency ratio – GAAP is computed by dividing (i) noninterest expense by (ii) the sum of NII and noninterest income.

(4)Efficiency ratio – non-GAAP is computed by dividing (i) noninterest expense less amortization of other intangible assets and credit card fraud losses by (ii) the sum of taxable-equivalent NII and noninterest income less the sale and the fair value of held for sale assets.

Net Interest Income

Tax-equivalent NII is NII adjusted for the tax-favored status of income from certain loans and investments. As shown in the table below, tax-equivalent NII increased $21.8 million to $192.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $170.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in NII was primarily due to an increase in total interest income of $14.7 million, or 5.0%, which included an increase in interest and fees on loans of $11.0 million, or 4.1%, and an increase in interest on deposits with other banks of $2.8 million, or 44.6%. The increase in interest and fees on loans was primarily due to the increase in the average balance of loans of $130.3 million, or 2.8%, coupled with loans repricing favorably during the year. The decrease in total interest expense was primarily due to a decrease in interest on deposits of $6.1 million and a decrease in interest expense on long-term borrowings of $1.0 million. The decrease in expense on borrowings was related to lower FHLB advances in 2025.

The following table presents taxable-equivalent net interest income for each of the periods indicated.

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