Company: NWBI
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: S-4/A
Source: 0001193125-25-030716
Chunk: 112

Company: Northwest Bancshares, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: S-4/A
Chunk 112
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| 9.10.                                                |     | Entire Understanding                                            |     | A-59 |
| 9.11.                                                |     | Assignment; Third-Party Beneficiaries                           |     | A-59 |
| 9.12.                                                |     | Interpretation                                                  |     | A-60 |
| 9.13.                                                |     | Specific Performance                                            |     | A-60 |
| 9.14.                                                |     | Severability                                                    |     | A-60 |
| 9.15.                                                |     | Delivery by Electronic Transmission                             |     | A-60 |
| EXHIBIT A                                            |     | Form of Support Agreement                                       |     | A-62 |
| EXHIBIT B                                            |     | Form of Luzerne Bank Merger Agreement                           |     | A-72 |
| EXHIBIT C                                            |     | Form of Jersey Shore State Bank Merger Agreement                |     | A-77 |

A-ii

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of December 16, 2024 (this “”), by and between
NORTHWEST BANCSHARES, INC., a Maryland corporation (“”), and PENNS WOODS BANCORP, INC., a Pennsylvania corporation (“”).

WITNESSETH

WHEREAS, NWBI
is a registered bank holding company under the Banking Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“”) and owns all of the outstanding shares of Northwest Bank, Pennsylvania-chartered savings bank (“”);

WHEREAS, PWOD is a registered bank holding company under the BHCA and owns all of the outstanding shares of
Luzerne Bank, a Pennsylvania-chartered state bank (“”), and Jersey Shore State Bank, a Pennsylvania-chartered state bank (“”);

WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of NWBI and PWOD believe that the merger of PWOD with and into NWBI, followed by the subsidiary bank
mergers of Luzerne Bank and Jersey Shore State Bank with and into Northwest Bank, each in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, would be in the best interests of NWBI and PWOD and their respective shareholders;

WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of NWBI and PWOD have each approved this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby;

WHEREAS the parties intend this merger to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section