Guaranty Bancorp Stock Price, News & Analysis

Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. (OTC: GUAA) is a financial services holding company in the regional banking sector. It is the parent company of Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, a community bank that has operated for well over a century. According to public merger communications, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank was founded in 1889 and has focused on serving customers and communities through sound financial products and services aimed at supporting personal and regional growth.

Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. is classified in the Banks – Regional industry within the broader Financial Services sector. Through Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, Guaranty has historically operated multiple offices in west-central New Hampshire, positioning the organization as a locally focused community banking institution. The bank’s long operating history reflects a continued emphasis on community banking principles and customer relationships.

In a jointly announced transaction, Bar Harbor Bankshares, the parent company of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, and Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. disclosed that they signed a definitive merger agreement under which Guaranty will merge with and into Bar Harbor Bankshares, and Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank will merge with and into Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. The transaction is structured as an all-stock deal valued at approximately $41.6 million, with each outstanding share of Guaranty common stock to be exchanged for 1.85 shares of Bar Harbor common stock, subject to the terms of the agreement.

The merger is intended to qualify as a reorganization for federal income tax purposes. Following completion of the transaction, the combined banking organization will operate under the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust name. Public disclosures indicate that, upon closing, Bar Harbor shareholders are expected to own the majority of the combined company’s stock, with Guaranty shareholders holding a minority position. Guaranty’s President and CEO is expected to join the board of directors of Bar Harbor Bankshares at closing, expanding the board’s membership.

From a geographic standpoint, the combination is described as uniting two community banks with complementary geographies. Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank operates branches in New Hampshire, and Bar Harbor Bank & Trust maintains office locations across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The merger announcement highlights that Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank’s markets are adjacent to Bar Harbor’s existing locations in northwestern New Hampshire and Vermont, creating a contiguous regional footprint in Northern New England.

Public commentary from a credit rating agency notes that Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. maintains a diversified deposit base. The same analysis describes Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank and Bar Harbor Bank & Trust as institutions with solid asset quality performance over time, supported by disciplined underwriting and conservative management teams familiar with their operating markets. The proposed transaction is expected to add Guaranty’s assets, loans, deposits, and branch locations to Bar Harbor’s balance sheet and network when it closes, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.

According to the merger announcement, the boards of directors of both Bar Harbor Bankshares and Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. unanimously approved the definitive agreement. Completion of the merger remains contingent on customary regulatory approvals and the approval of Guaranty’s shareholders. Until the transaction is completed, Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. continues to be identified as the holding company for Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, with its common stock trading on the OTC market under the symbol GUAA.

Business focus and community banking role

Disclosures describing Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank emphasize its role as a community bank committed to serving customers and local communities. The bank’s stated purpose is to offer sound financial products and services that help stimulate personal and regional growth. This community orientation is cited as a key reason why the merger is characterized as a cultural fit between Guaranty and Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, which also describes itself as a community bank serving Northern New England.

Within the regional banking landscape, Guaranty Bancorp, Inc., through Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, aligns with a model centered on relationship-based banking in defined local markets. The merger communications highlight Woodsville’s deep customer relationships, strong asset quality, and long history of service, which are presented as important attributes in the combined organization.

Merger status and future structure

The proposed merger between Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. and Bar Harbor Bankshares is targeted to be completed in the second half of 2025, according to the joint announcement. After closing, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank will no longer operate under its current name, as its banking operations are expected to be consolidated into Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. For investors and observers, this means that GUAA represents a company that has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired, with future operations anticipated to be part of the larger Bar Harbor banking organization, subject to completion of the transaction.

FAQs about Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. (GUAA)

• What is Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. (GUAA)?
  Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company of Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, a community bank that operates in New Hampshire and is categorized in the Banks – Regional industry within the Financial Services sector.
• What bank does Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. own?
  Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, which has a long history of serving customers and communities and was founded in 1889.
• What is the relationship between Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. and Bar Harbor Bankshares?
  Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. and Bar Harbor Bankshares have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Guaranty will merge with and into Bar Harbor Bankshares, and Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank will merge with and into Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
• How will Guaranty shareholders be compensated in the merger?
  Under the terms of the merger agreement, each outstanding share of Guaranty common stock is expected to be exchanged for 1.85 shares of Bar Harbor common stock, as disclosed in the joint merger announcement.
• What happens to Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank after the merger?
  Following completion of the transaction, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank is expected to merge into Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, and the combined banking operations will use the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust name.
• Does Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. still trade under the symbol GUAA?
  The merger announcement identifies Guaranty Bancorp, Inc. as trading on the OTC market under the symbol GUAA at the time of the announcement. Any change in trading status or symbol would depend on the completion of the merger and subsequent corporate actions.
• What geographic markets does Guaranty serve?
  Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, the banking subsidiary of Guaranty Bancorp, Inc., operates offices in west-central New Hampshire. The merger communications describe its markets as adjacent to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s locations in northwestern New Hampshire and Vermont.
• How is Guaranty described in terms of asset quality and deposits?
  A credit rating agency commentary notes that Guaranty has demonstrated solid asset quality performance over time and maintains a diversified deposit base, based on its review in connection with the proposed acquisition.
• Is the merger between Guaranty and Bar Harbor already completed?
  The available information states that the merger is targeted to be completed in the second half of 2025 and remains subject to regulatory approvals and the approval of Guaranty’s shareholders. Completion is not confirmed in the provided materials.
• What type of tax treatment is expected for the merger consideration?
  The joint announcement states that the transaction is intended to qualify as a reorganization for federal income tax purposes, and the shares of Guaranty common stock exchanged for shares of Bar Harbor common stock are expected to be transferred on a tax-free basis, subject to applicable tax rules.