# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0000862831
**File Stem:** 0001193125-25-211278
**Filing Date:** 2025-9
**Character Count:** 11992
**Document Hash:** adb5a3220ccfa61413578749645685d9
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001193125-25-211278.hdr.sgml**: 20250922

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001193125-25-211278

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 8-K

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 13

**CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT**: 20250918

**ITEM INFORMATION**: Regulation FD Disclosure

**ITEM INFORMATION**: Financial Statements and Exhibits

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20250922

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20250922

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS INC
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0000862831
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANKS [6021]
- **ORGANIZATION NAME:** 02 Finance
- **EIN:** 160816610
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** NY
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 8-K
- **SEC ACT:** 1934 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 000-26481
- **FILM NUMBER:** 251330083

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 220 LIBERTY STREET
- **CITY:** WARSAW
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 14569
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 5857861100

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 220 LIBERTY STREET
- **CITY:** WARSAW
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 14569

?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'? 8-K

**UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549**

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## FORM 8-K

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**CURRENT REPORT**

**Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934**

**Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):** September 18, 2025<br>

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Financial Institutions, Inc.

![img40786789_0.jpg](img40786789_0.jpg)

**(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| New York | 0-26481 | 16-0816610 |
| **(State or Other Jurisdiction<br>of Incorporation)** | **(Commission File Number)** | **(IRS Employer<br>Identification No.)** |
| 220 Liberty Street |  |  |
| Warsaw**,** New York |  | 14569 |
| **(Address of Principal Executive Offices)** |  | **(Zip Code)** |

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**Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code:** 585 786-1100<br>

Not Applicable

**(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)**

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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

**Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **<br>Title of each class** | **Trading<br>Symbol(s)** | **<br>Name of each exchange on which registered** |
| Common stock, par value $0.01 per share | FISI | Nasdaq Global Select Market |

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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## Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On September 22, 2025, Financial Institutions, Inc. (the "Company") issued a press release announcing that its Board of Directors ("Board") has approved a new share repurchase program for up to 1,006,379 shares of its common stock, or approximately 5% of the Company's current outstanding common shares. Effective September 18, 2025, the new share repurchase program replaces and terminates the prior share repurchase program authorized by the Board in June 2022.

The new repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market transactions or private transactions, through block trades or pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("the Exchange Act"). The repurchase program has no expiration date.

Repurchases, if any, will be made at management's discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its shareholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial performance. Open market purchases will be subject to the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act and other applicable legal requirements.

The timing and number of shares repurchased, if any, will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, market conditions, trading volume and other corporate liquidity priorities. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any shares and it may be extended, modified or discontinued by the Board at any time.

A copy of the press release announcing the approval of the new share repurchase program and discontinuance of the existing share repurchase program is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

## Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) <u>Exhibits</u>.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Exhibit**<br>**Number** | **Description**  | **Location** |
| 99.1 | [<u>Press Release issued by Financial Institutions, Inc. on September 22, 2025</u>](fisi-ex99_1.htm) | Filed Herewith |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |  |

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**SIGNATURES**

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  |  | Financial Institutions, Inc. |
| Date: | September 22, 2025 | By:  | /s/ W. Jack Plants, II  |
|  |  |  | **W. Jack Plants, II<br>Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and Treasurer** |

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## Exhibit 99.1

![img145321324_0.jpg](img145321324_0.jpg)

**Financial Institutions, Inc. Announces New Share Repurchase Program**

**WARSAW, N.Y. – September 22, 2025** – Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI) (the "Company"), the parent company of Five Star Bank and Courier Capital, LLC, today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has approved a new share repurchase program for up to 1,006,379 shares of its common stock, or approximately 5% of the Company's outstanding common shares. Effective September 18, 2025, the new share repurchase program replaces and terminates the prior share repurchase program authorized by the Board in June 2022.

"The Board's decision to authorize a new, larger share repurchase program reflects its confidence in our Company's ability to deliver consistent financial results and execute against our strategic priorities to deliver long-term value to shareholders," said President and Chief Executive Officer Martin K. Birmingham. "Following the success of our fourth quarter 2024 public equity offering and the strength of our earnings in the quarters since, we believe this authorization provides us the appropriate flexibility to return capital to our investors, even as we invest in and grow our consumer, commercial and wealth business lines organically."

The new repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market transactions or private transactions, through block trades or pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). The repurchase program has no expiration date.

Repurchases, if any, will be made at management's discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its shareholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial performance. Open market purchases will be subject to the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act and other applicable legal requirements.

The timing and number of shares repurchased, if any, will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, market conditions, trading volume and other corporate liquidity priorities. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any shares, and it may be extended, modified or discontinued by the Board at any time.

**About Financial Institutions, Inc.** 

Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI) is a financial holding company with approximately $6.1 billion in assets as of June 30, 2025, offering banking and wealth management products and services. Its Five Star Bank subsidiary provides consumer and commercial banking and lending services to individuals, municipalities and businesses through banking locations spanning Western and Central New York and a commercial loan production office serving the Mid-Atlantic region. Courier Capital, LLC offers customized investment management, financial planning and consulting services to individuals and families, businesses, institutions, non-profits and retirement plans. Learn more at Five-StarBank.com and FISI-Investors.com.

**Safe Harbor Statement**

This press release may contain forward-looking statements as defined by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve significant risks and uncertainties. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "focus,"

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"forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "preliminary," "should," "target" or "will." Statements herein are based on certain assumptions and analyses by the Company and factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in or implied by such statements for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: changes in interest rates; inflation; tariffs; changes in deposit flows and the cost and availability of funds; fraudulent deposit activity; the Company's ability to implement its strategic plan, including by expanding its commercial lending footprint and integrating its acquisitions; whether the Company experiences greater credit losses than expected; whether the Company experiences breaches of its, or third party, information systems; the attitudes and preferences of the Company's customers; legal and regulatory proceedings and related matters, including any action described in our reports filed with the SEC, could adversely affect us and the banking industry in general; the competitive environment; fluctuations in the fair value of securities in its investment portfolio; changes in the regulatory environment and the Company's compliance with regulatory requirements; general economic and credit market conditions nationally and regionally; and the macroeconomic volatility related to global political unrest. Consequently, all forward-looking statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and the cautionary language and risk factors included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with the SEC. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this press release.

**For additional information contact:**

Kate Croft

Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

(716) 817-5159

klcroft@five-starbank.com

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