Heritage Financial (HFWA) investors approve stock issuance for Olympic merger
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Heritage Financial Corporation held a virtual special shareholder meeting to vote on matters related to its planned merger with Olympic Bancorp, Inc. under a previously announced Merger Agreement. Shareholders of record as of November 26, 2025, when 33,956,738 shares of common stock were outstanding, were entitled to vote.
At the meeting, holders of 27,149,330 shares, or about 80% of the outstanding common stock, were represented, establishing a quorum. Shareholders approved the issuance of Heritage common stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement, with 27,081,202 votes for, 25,429 against, and 42,699 abstentions.
They also approved a proposal that would have allowed adjournment of the meeting to solicit additional votes if needed, by a vote of 26,331,640 for, 773,306 against, and 44,384 abstentions. Because the stock issuance proposal passed comfortably, no adjournment was required and the special meeting proceeded to conclusion.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insights
Shareholders strongly backed issuing stock for the Olympic merger.
Heritage Financial Corporation obtained clear shareholder approval to issue common stock under its Merger Agreement with Olympic Bancorp, Inc. The vote on the stock issuance proposal was overwhelmingly in favor, with 27,081,202 votes supporting it versus 25,429 against and 42,699 abstaining. Turnout was high, as 27,149,330 shares, about
This approval satisfies a key shareholder-condition relating to the merger structure, specifically the ability to issue new Heritage shares as consideration. An additional proposal to permit adjournment of the meeting for further vote solicitation, if necessary, was also approved (26,331,640 for, 773,306 against, 44,384 abstentions), but ultimately was not used because the stock issuance passed. The actual impact now depends on completion of the remaining merger conditions described in the underlying Merger Agreement and related future disclosures.
FAQ
What did Heritage Financial Corporation (HFWA) shareholders vote on at the special meeting?
Shareholders of Heritage Financial Corporation voted on two proposals at a virtual special meeting. The first was to approve the issuance of Heritage common stock pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger with Olympic Bancorp, Inc. The second was to approve a possible adjournment of the meeting to solicit additional votes if there were not enough votes to approve the stock issuance proposal.
Did HFWA shareholders approve issuing stock for the Olympic Bancorp merger?
Yes. Shareholders approved the Stock Issuance Proposal, which authorizes the issuance of Heritage common stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement with Olympic Bancorp, Inc. The proposal received 27,081,202 votes for, 25,429 against, and 42,699 abstentions, so it passed by a wide margin.
What was shareholder turnout for the Heritage Financial (HFWA) special meeting?
For the special meeting, there were 33,956,738 shares of Heritage common stock outstanding as of the November 26, 2025 record date. A total of 27,149,330 shares were represented in person or by proxy at the meeting, which is approximately 80% of the outstanding shares and was sufficient to constitute a quorum.
Was an adjournment of the HFWA special meeting needed to approve the merger-related proposal?
No. Although shareholders approved a proposal allowing adjournment to solicit additional votes if necessary (with 26,331,640 votes for, 773,306 against, and 44,384 abstaining), the stock issuance proposal itself passed comfortably. As a result, the special meeting was not adjourned and concluded without using that authority.
How is the Heritage Financial (HFWA) merger with Olympic Bancorp structured in this filing?
The filing describes a previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger dated September 25, 2025, under which Olympic Bancorp, Inc. will merge with and into Heritage Financial Corporation, with Heritage as the surviving corporation. The approved stock issuance proposal relates to issuing Heritage common stock as part of that merger structure.
What is the record date and share count referenced for HFWA’s special meeting vote?
The record date to determine which shareholders could vote at the special meeting was the close of business on November 26, 2025. As of that date, there were 33,956,738 shares of Heritage common stock outstanding, each entitled to one vote at the meeting.