HomeTrust Bancshares has agreed to acquire Blue Ridge Bankshares in an all-stock transaction valued at about $448.1 million, extending the North Carolina lender into Virginia and creating a Southeast bank with more than $7 billion in assets and more than 60 branches and offices. Blue Ridge shareholders would receive 0.086 HomeTrust shares for each share they hold, implying about $4.28 per share based on HomeTrust's five-day volume-weighted average price of $49.82 as of Aug. 14, 2026; HomeTrust holders are expected to own about 65% of the combined company and Blue Ridge investors roughly 35%. HomeTrust said the deal, approved unanimously by both boards, could add about 30% to earnings per share by 2028 if planned cost cuts are fully implemented, while diluting tangible book value per share by about 8.3% at closing with an earn-back period of about 3.25 years. The companies expect to close in the early part of the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, while Ademi LLP said it is investigating whether Blue Ridge's board met its fiduciary duties and whether deal protections could deter competing bids.