Company Description
Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: NWBI) is a bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It is the parent company of Northwest Bank, a Pennsylvania‑chartered savings bank. According to company disclosures, Northwest Bank was founded in 1896 and operates as a full‑service financial institution. The bank offers a complete line of business and personal banking products, as well as employee benefits and wealth management services.
Northwest Bancshares, Inc. is classified in the finance and insurance sector and operates in the savings institutions industry. Its common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol NWBI. The company describes Northwest Bank as a community‑oriented financial institution that provides business and consumer banking products and related financial services.
Business model and activities
Based on the company’s public statements, Northwest Bank focuses on both personal banking and business banking. The bank’s loan portfolio includes residential mortgage loans, home equity loans, consumer loans, commercial real estate loans and commercial loans. Earlier descriptions also note that Northwest offers investment management, trust services and insurance products, and that it provides consumer finance loans through a wholly owned subsidiary.
The company identifies net interest income as the primary contributor to its revenue. This reflects the difference between interest earned on loans and investments and interest paid on deposits and other funding. In addition to interest‑based revenue, Northwest reports noninterest income from areas such as service charges and fees, trust and other financial services income, mortgage banking income, income from bank‑owned life insurance, and other operating income.
Branch network and geographic footprint
In multiple recent announcements, Northwest states that it operates 151 full‑service financial centers and a network of free‑standing drive‑up facilities in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Indiana. These locations support its community banking focus and provide access to its business and consumer banking products, employee benefits services and wealth management offerings.
The company has highlighted growth in its presence across Pennsylvania. Following the completion of its acquisition of Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc., Northwest reported that the combination enhanced its Pennsylvania banking presence with the addition of branch locations across North Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania and that the former Jersey Shore State Bank and Luzerne Bank financial centers were rebranded under the Northwest Bank name.
Acquisition of Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc.
On July 25, 2025, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. completed its previously announced merger with Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc., as described in a Form 8‑K filing and related press releases. Penns Woods, a Pennsylvania corporation, merged with and into Northwest, with Northwest as the surviving corporation. Immediately following the holding company merger, Penns Woods’ subsidiary banks, Jersey Shore State Bank and Luzerne Bank, merged with and into Northwest Bank, with Northwest Bank as the surviving bank.
Through this transaction, Northwest acquired all of the assets and assumed all of the obligations of Penns Woods, and Northwest Bank acquired all of the assets and obligations of Luzerne Bank and Jersey Shore State Bank. The company has stated that this combination expanded its footprint in Pennsylvania and contributed to higher average balances, net interest income and noninterest expense in subsequent financial results.
Revenue characteristics and financial reporting
Northwest Bancshares, Inc. regularly reports its financial condition and results of operations through quarterly earnings releases and related SEC filings. In these materials, the company discusses net interest income, net interest margin, interest income and interest expense, provisions for credit losses, noninterest income and noninterest expense. It also provides information on average loans receivable, investments, deposits and borrowed funds.
The company has described how changes in its loan mix, including a shift toward higher‑yielding commercial loans, and the impact of acquisitions affect loan yields and net interest margin. It also reports on the cost of interest‑bearing liabilities, including deposits and borrowings, and how these costs influence overall interest expense. In addition, Northwest discusses provisions for credit losses on loans and unfunded commitments, as well as classified loans and trends in its commercial real estate portfolio.
Wealth management and related services
Northwest Bank’s public communications emphasize its wealth management capabilities alongside traditional banking. The bank refers to offerings that include private banking, investment management, estate planning and trust services, and notes that it has a dedicated wealth management team. The company has announced leadership appointments aimed at enhancing and growing its existing wealth management offerings and strengthening collaboration across the business to serve clients’ needs.
In addition to wealth management, Northwest highlights employee benefits services as part of its broader financial services platform. These services are positioned alongside business and consumer banking products, reflecting the bank’s effort to serve both individual and organizational customers.
Corporate structure and regulation
Northwest Bancshares, Inc. is incorporated in Maryland, as indicated in its SEC filings. Northwest Bank is a Pennsylvania‑chartered savings bank and a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest. As a bank holding company with a savings bank subsidiary, Northwest is subject to banking and securities regulation, and it files periodic reports and current reports, such as Forms 10‑K, 10‑Q and 8‑K, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Its common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.
The company has noted in its public statements that it operates in a complex and evolving legal and regulatory environment and that it maintains functions to address legal, regulatory, risk and capital management matters, including a treasury function responsible for managing interest rate, liquidity and capital efforts and the securities investment portfolio.
Dividends and shareholder information
In its earnings releases, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. has reported regular quarterly cash dividends on its common stock and has noted a long history of consecutive quarterly dividend payments. Dividend amounts, yields and specific payment dates are disclosed in those releases and related filings. The company also communicates with shareholders through annual meetings and proxy statements, as referenced in its public announcements about upcoming annual meetings of shareholders.
How Northwest Bancshares, Inc. fits within the savings institutions sector
Within the savings institutions industry, Northwest Bancshares, Inc., through Northwest Bank, focuses on gathering deposits and originating loans for both personal and business customers. Its activities include residential mortgage lending, home equity lending, consumer lending, commercial real estate lending and commercial lending, along with related fee‑based services such as service charges, trust and other financial services income, mortgage banking income and other operating income. The company’s disclosures emphasize a community‑oriented approach supported by a multi‑state branch network and a mix of interest and noninterest revenue sources.