Form 8-K - Current report

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 28, 2025

__________________________________________

First Busey Corporation

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

__________________________________________


Nevada	0-15950	37-1078406
(State of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

	100 W. University Ave. Champaign, Illinois 61820
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

	(217) 365-4544
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

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:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, $0.001 par value

BUSE

Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

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). ☐

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. ☐

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On January 28, 2025, First Busey Corporation (“Busey”) issued a press release (“Earnings Release”) disclosing financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. A copy of the Earnings Release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information in Item 2.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto is being “furnished” and will not, except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, be deemed “filed” by Busey for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor will any of such information or exhibits be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On January 28, 2025, Busey published its Earnings Investor Presentation discussing financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. A copy is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information in Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and Exhibit 99.2 attached hereto is being “furnished” and will not, except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, be deemed “filed” by Busey for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor will any of such information or exhibits be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.


Exhibit Number						Description of Exhibit
99.1						Earnings Release issued by First Busey Corporation, dated January 28, 2025
99.2						Earnings Investor Presentation issued by First Busey Corporation, dated January 28, 2025
104						Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document and included in Exhibit 101)

Signature

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.

FIRST BUSEY CORPORATION

Date:

January 28, 2025

By:

/s/ Jeffrey D. Jones

Jeffrey D. Jones

Chief Financial Officer

F I R S T B U S E Y C O R P O R A T I O N

A N N O U N C E S

2 0 2 4
F O U R T H
Q U A R T E R

E A R N I N G S

Q 4 | 2 0 2 4

January 28, 2025

First Busey Corporation Announces 2024 Fourth Quarter Earnings

CHAMPAIGN, IL – (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE)

Net Income of $28.1 million
Diluted EPS of $0.49

FOURTH QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

•Adjusted net income1 of $30.7 million, or $0.53 per diluted common share

•Adjusted noninterest income1 of $35.4 million, or 30.3% of total revenue

•Record high quarterly and annual revenue of $17.0 million and $65.0 million, respectively, for the Wealth Management segment

•Tangible book value per common share1 of $17.88 at December 31, 2024, compared to $16.62 at December 31, 2023, a year-over-year increase of 7.6%

•Tangible common equity1 increased to 8.76% of tangible assets at December 31, 2024, compared to 7.75% at December 31, 2023

•Received stockholder approvals for the CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. merger in December 2024, followed by remaining requisite regulatory approvals in January 2025

For additional information, please refer to the 4Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation.

MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN & CEO

Fourth Quarter Financial Results

Net income for First Busey Corporation (“Busey,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) was $28.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, or $0.49 per diluted common share, compared to $32.0 million, or $0.55 per diluted common share, for the third quarter of 2024, and $25.7 million, or $0.46 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted net income1, which excludes the impact of acquisition and restructuring expenses, was $30.7 million, or $0.53 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $33.5 million, or $0.58 per diluted common share, for the third quarter of 2024 and $29.1 million or $0.52 per diluted common share for the fourth quarter of 2023. Annualized return on average assets and annualized return on average tangible common equity1 were 0.93% and 10.86%, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2024. Annualized adjusted return on average assets1 and annualized adjusted return on average tangible common equity1 were 1.01% and 11.87%, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Taking into account our fourth quarter results, full year 2024 net income and adjusted net income1 were $113.7 million, or $1.98 per diluted common share, and $119.8 million, or $2.08 per diluted common share, respectively. Return on average assets and adjusted return on average assets1 were 0.94% and 0.99%, respectively. Return on average tangible common equity1 and adjusted return on average tangible common equity1 were 11.65% and 12.28%, respectively.

Full year 2024 net income and adjusted net income1 include $6.1 million of net securities losses and $7.7 million in gains on the sale of mortgage servicing rights. Net income and adjusted net income1 for 2024 were further impacted by a one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment of $1.4 million resulting from a change to our Illinois apportionment rate due to recently enacted regulations. Excluding the tax-effected impact of these items, further adjusted net income1 would have been $120.0 million, equating to adjusted diluted earnings per common share1 of $2.09.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 2

Pre-provision net revenue1 was $38.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $41.7 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $32.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Pre-provision net revenue to average assets1 was 1.28% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 1.38% for the third quarter of 2024, and 1.06% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted pre-provision net revenue1 was $42.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $44.1 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $40.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average assets1 was 1.38% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 1.46% for the third quarter of 2024 and 1.30% for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Taking into account our fourth quarter results, full year 2024 pre-provision net revenue1 and adjusted pre-provision net revenue1 were $168.0 million and $167.3 million, respectively. Pre-provision net revenue to average assets1 and adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average assets1 were each 1.39%.

Our fee-based businesses continue to add revenue diversification. Total noninterest income was $35.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $35.8 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $31.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Fourth quarter results included $0.2 million in net securities losses. Adjusted noninterest income1 was $35.4 million, or 30.3% of operating revenue1, during the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $35.0 million, or 29.8% of operating revenue1, for the third quarter of 2024 and $30.5 million, or 28.3% of operating revenue1, for the fourth quarter of 2023. Wealth management fees and wealth management referral income included in other noninterest income contributed $17.0 million and payment technology solutions contributed $5.1 million to our consolidated noninterest income for the fourth quarter of 2024, representing 62.3% of adjusted noninterest income1 on a combined basis.

For the full year 2024, total noninterest income was $139.7 million. Wealth management fees and wealth management referral income included in other noninterest income contributed $65.0 million and payment technology solutions contributed $22.0 million to our consolidated noninterest income for 2024, representing 63.0% of adjusted noninterest income1 on a combined basis.

Busey views certain non-operating items, including acquisition-related expenses and restructuring charges, as adjustments to net income reported under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Non-operating pretax adjustments for acquisition and restructuring expenses1 were $3.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Busey believes that its non-GAAP measures (which are identified with the endnote labeled as 1) facilitate the assessment of its financial results and peer comparability. For more information and a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures in tabular form, see "Non-GAAP Financial Information" beginning on page 16.

We remain focused on prudently managing our expense base and operating efficiency in the current operating environment. Noninterest expense was $78.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $75.9 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $75.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted core expense1, which excludes the amortization of intangible assets and new markets tax credits, acquisition and restructuring expenses, and the provision for unfunded commitments, was $72.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $71.0 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $65.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The year-over-year comparable period growth in adjusted core expense can be attributed primarily to the acquisition of Merchants and Manufacturers Bank Corporation (“M&M”) and general inflationary pressures on compensation and benefits and to a lesser extent certain other expense categories.

Quarterly pre-tax expense synergies resulting from our acquisition of M&M are anticipated to be $1.6 million to $1.7 million per quarter when fully realized. Quarterly run-rate savings are projected to be achieved by the first quarter of 2025. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we achieved approximately 86% of the full quarterly savings.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 3

Planned Partnership with CrossFirst

On August 26, 2024, Busey and CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. (“CrossFirst”) entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “merger agreement”) pursuant to which CrossFirst will merge with and into Busey (the “merger”) and CrossFirst’s wholly-owned subsidiary, CrossFirst Bank, will merge with and into Busey Bank. This partnership will create a premier commercial bank in the Midwest, Southwest, and Florida, with 77 full-service locations across 10 states—Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas—and approximately $20 billion in combined assets, $17 billion in total deposits, $14 billion in total loans, and $14 billion in wealth assets under care.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, CrossFirst stockholders will have the right to receive for each share of CrossFirst common stock 0.6675 of a share of Busey’s common stock. Upon completion of the transaction, Busey’s stockholders will own approximately 63.5% of the combined company and CrossFirst’s stockholders will own approximately 36.5% of the combined company, on a fully-diluted basis. Busey common stock will continue to trade on the Nasdaq under the “BUSE” stock ticker symbol.

On December 20, 2024, Busey and CrossFirst stockholders voted to approve the merger. On January 16, 2025, Busey received regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for the merger. Busey and CrossFirst intend to close the merger on March 1, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of the remaining customary closing conditions. The transaction has also been approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner. The combined holding company will continue to operate under the First Busey Corporation name and the combined bank will operate under the Busey Bank name. It is anticipated that CrossFirst Bank will merge with and into Busey Bank in mid-2025. At the time of the bank merger, CrossFirst Bank locations will become banking centers of Busey Bank. In connection with this merger, Busey incurred one-time pretax acquisition-related expenses of $2.4 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 and $3.9 million for the full year.

For further details on the merger, see Busey’s Current Report on Form 8‑K announcing the merger, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on August 27, 2024.

Busey’s Conservative Banking Strategy

Busey’s financial strength is built on a long-term conservative operating approach. That focus will not change now or in the future.

The quality of our core deposit franchise is a critical value driver of our institution. Our granular deposit base continues to position us well, with core deposits1 representing 96.5% of our deposits as of December 31, 2024. Our retail deposit base was comprised of more than 251,000 accounts with an average balance of $22 thousand and an average tenure of 16.9 years as of December 31, 2024. Our commercial deposit base was comprised of more than 32,000 accounts with an average balance of $98 thousand and an average tenure of 12.8 years as of December 31, 2024. We estimate that 30% of our deposits were uninsured and uncollateralized2 as of December 31, 2024, and we have sufficient on- and off-balance sheet liquidity to manage deposit fluctuations and the liquidity needs of our customers.

Asset quality remains strong by both Busey’s historical and current industry trends. Non-performing assets increased to $23.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2024, representing 0.19% of total assets. The increase relates to one Commercial Real Estate loan that was classified in the fourth quarter of 2023 and was moved to non-accrual during the fourth quarter of 2024. This loan carries a remaining balance of $15.0 million following a $3.0 million charge-off in the fourth quarter of 2024. Busey’s results for the fourth quarter of 2024 include a $1.3 million provision expense for credit losses and a $0.5 million provision release for unfunded commitments. The allowance for credit losses was $83.4 million as of December 31, 2024, representing 1.08% of total portfolio loans outstanding, and providing coverage of 3.59 times our non-performing loan balance. Including the charge-off for the Commercial Real Estate loan mentioned above, Busey’s net charge-offs totaled $2.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. As of December 31, 2024, our commercial real estate loan portfolio of investor-owned office properties within Central Business District3 areas was minimal at $2.0 million. Our credit performance continues to reflect our highly diversified, conservatively underwritten loan portfolio, which has been originated predominantly to established customers with tenured relationships with our company.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 4

The strength of our balance sheet is also reflected in our capital foundation. In the fourth quarter of 2024, our Common Equity Tier 1 ratio4 was 14.10% and our Total Capital to Risk Weighted Assets ratio4 was 18.53%. Our regulatory capital ratios continue to provide a buffer of more than $610 million above levels required to be designated well-capitalized. Our Tangible Common Equity ratio1 was 8.76% during the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 8.96% for the third quarter of 2024 and 7.75% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Busey’s tangible book value per common share1 was $17.88 at December 31, 2024, compared to $18.19 at September 30, 2024, and $16.62 at December 31, 2023, reflecting a 7.6% year-over-year increase. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we paid a common share dividend of $0.24.

Community Banking

In the last two months of 2024, Busey offered a new, short-term Express Microloan product, created to help small businesses thrive. With a competitive 4.99% fixed interest rate, flexible terms and loans of up to $10,000, existing Busey customers with business checking accounts were invited to apply—allowing them to manage expenses, refinance debt, invest in new opportunities, and enhance operations. Busey originated more than 100 Express Microloans in 60-days, meeting the needs of our small business customers.

As we reflect back on 2024 and look ahead to 2025, we feel confident that we are well positioned to produce quality growth and profitability. The pending CrossFirst transaction fits with our acquisition strategy and we are excited to welcome our CrossFirst colleagues into the Busey family. We are grateful for the opportunities to consistently earn the business of our customers, based on the contributions of our talented associates and the continued support of our loyal stockholders.


						Van A. Dukeman
						Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
						First Busey Corporation

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 5


SELECTED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (unaudited)
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

	Three Months Ended									Years Ended
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
EARNINGS & PER SHARE AMOUNTS
Net income	$	28,105		$	32,004		$	25,749		$	113,691		$	122,565
Diluted earnings per common share	0.49			0.55			0.46			1.98			2.18
Cash dividends paid per share	0.24			0.24			0.24			0.96			0.96
Pre-provision net revenue1, 2	38,828			41,744			32,909			167,996			158,502
Operating revenue2	116,995			117,688			107,888			460,671			444,034

Net income by operating segment:
Banking	30,856			33,221			25,164			117,266			123,853
FirsTech	(723)			(61)			325			(670)			830
Wealth Management	5,853			5,618			4,233			22,030			18,804

AVERAGE BALANCES
Cash and cash equivalents	$	776,572		$	502,127		$	608,647		$	555,281		$	330,952
Investment securities	2,597,309			2,666,269			2,995,223			2,726,488			3,188,815
Loans held for sale	6,306			11,539			1,679			8,012			1,885
Portfolio loans	7,738,772			7,869,798			7,736,010			7,804,629			7,759,472
Interest-earning assets	11,048,350			10,942,745			11,235,326			10,999,424			11,181,010
Total assets	12,085,993			12,007,702			12,308,491			12,051,871			12,246,218

Noninterest-bearing deposits	2,724,344			2,706,858			2,827,696			2,738,892			3,018,563
Interest-bearing deposits	7,325,662			7,296,921			7,545,234			7,301,124			7,052,370
Total deposits	10,050,006			10,003,779			10,372,930			10,040,016			10,070,933

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	135,728			132,688			182,735			147,786			200,894
Interest-bearing liabilities	7,763,729			7,731,459			8,054,663			7,763,084			7,825,459
Total liabilities	10,689,054			10,643,325			11,106,074			10,709,447			11,048,707
Stockholders' equity - common	1,396,939			1,364,377			1,202,417			1,342,424			1,197,511
Tangible common equity2	1,029,539			994,657			846,948			975,823			838,164

PERFORMANCE RATIOS
Pre-provision net revenue to average assets1, 2, 3	1.28		%	1.38		%	1.06		%	1.39		%	1.29		%
Return on average assets3	0.93		%	1.06		%	0.83		%	0.94		%	1.00		%
Return on average common equity3	8.00		%	9.33		%	8.50		%	8.47		%	10.23		%
Return on average tangible common equity2, 3	10.86		%	12.80		%	12.06		%	11.65		%	14.62		%
Net interest margin2, 4	2.95		%	3.02		%	2.75		%	2.95		%	2.89		%
Efficiency ratio2	64.45		%	62.15		%	66.89		%	61.76		%	61.65		%
Adjusted noninterest income to operating revenue2	30.27		%	29.77		%	28.31		%	29.97		%	27.79		%

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Adjusted pre-provision net revenue1, 2	$	41,958		$	44,104		$	40,223		$	167,317		$	172,290
Adjusted net income2	30,725			33,533			29,123			119,805			126,012
Adjusted diluted earnings per share2	0.53			0.58			0.52			2.08			2.24
Adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average assets2, 3	1.38		%	1.46		%	1.30		%	1.39		%	1.41		%
Adjusted return on average assets2, 3	1.01		%	1.11		%	0.94		%	0.99		%	1.03		%
Adjusted return on average tangible common equity2, 3	11.87		%	13.41		%	13.64		%	12.28		%	15.03		%
Adjusted net interest margin2, 4	2.92		%	2.97		%	2.74		%	2.92		%	2.87		%
Adjusted efficiency ratio2	61.40		%	60.50		%	62.98		%	61.03		%	60.68		%

___________________________________________

1.Net interest income plus noninterest income, excluding securities gains and losses, less noninterest expense.

2.See “Non-GAAP Financial Information” for reconciliation.

3.For quarterly periods, measures are annualized.

4.On a tax-equivalent basis, assuming a federal income tax rate of 21%.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 6


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited)
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

	As of
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	697,659	$	553,709	$	719,581
Debt securities available for sale	1,810,221		1,818,117		2,087,571
Debt securities held to maturity	826,630		838,883		872,628
Equity securities	15,862		10,315		9,812
Loans held for sale	3,657		11,523		2,379

Commercial loans	5,552,288		5,631,281		5,635,048
Retail real estate and retail other loans	2,144,799		2,177,816		2,015,986
Portfolio loans	7,697,087		7,809,097		7,651,034

Allowance for credit losses	(83,404)		(84,981)		(91,740)
Restricted bank stock	49,930		6,000		6,000
Premises and equipment, net	118,820		120,279		122,594
Right of use assets	10,608		11,100		11,027
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	365,975		368,249		353,864
Other assets	533,677		524,548		538,665
Total assets	$	12,046,722	$	11,986,839	$	12,283,415

LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Liabilities
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	2,719,907	$	2,683,543	$	2,834,655
Interest-bearing checking, savings, and money market deposits	5,771,948		5,739,773		5,637,227
Time deposits	1,490,635		1,519,925		1,819,274
Total deposits	9,982,490		9,943,241		10,291,156

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase	155,610		128,429		187,396
Short-term borrowings	—		—		12,000
Long-term debt	227,723		227,482		240,882
Junior subordinated debt owed to unconsolidated trusts	74,815		74,754		71,993
Lease liabilities	11,040		11,470		11,308
Other liabilities	211,775		198,579		196,699
Total liabilities	10,663,453		10,583,955		11,011,434

Stockholders' equity
Retained earnings	294,054		279,868		237,197
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(207,039)		(170,913)		(218,803)
Other stockholders' equity1	1,296,254		1,293,929		1,253,587
Total stockholders' equity	1,383,269		1,402,884		1,271,981
Total liabilities & stockholders' equity	$	12,046,722	$	11,986,839	$	12,283,415

SHARE AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS
Book value per common share	$	24.31	$	24.67	$	23.02
Tangible book value per common share2	$	17.88	$	18.19	$	16.62
Ending number of common shares outstanding	56,895,981		56,872,241		55,244,119

___________________________________________

1.Net balance of common stock ($0.001 par value), additional paid-in capital, and treasury stock.

2.See “Non-GAAP Financial Information” for reconciliation.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 7


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (unaudited)
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

	Three Months Ended						Years Ended
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023		December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
INTEREST INCOME
Interest and fees on loans	$	106,120	$	111,336	$	101,425	$	426,422	$	385,848
Interest and dividends on investment securities	16,788		18,072		20,634		73,970		82,994
Dividend income on bank stock	557		106		212		848		1,170
Other interest income	7,851		5,092		6,641		22,441		10,531
Total interest income	$	131,316	$	134,606	$	128,912	$	523,681	$	480,543

INTEREST EXPENSE
Deposits	$	44,152	$	46,634	$	45,409	$	178,463	$	123,985
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	915		981		1,431		4,308		5,203
Short-term borrowings	25		26		248		701		12,775
Long-term debt	3,183		3,181		3,475		12,950		14,106
Junior subordinated debt owed to unconsolidated trusts	1,463		1,137		1,004		4,648		3,853
Total interest expense	$	49,738	$	51,959	$	51,567	$	201,070	$	159,922

Net interest income	$	81,578	$	82,647	$	77,345	$	322,611	$	320,621
Provision for credit losses	1,273		2		455		8,590		2,399
Net interest income after provision for credit losses	$	80,305	$	82,645	$	76,890	$	314,021	$	318,222

NONINTEREST INCOME
Wealth management fees	$	16,786	$	15,378	$	13,715	$	63,630	$	57,309
Fees for customer services	7,911		8,168		7,484		30,933		29,044
Payment technology solutions	5,094		5,265		5,420		21,983		21,192
Mortgage revenue	496		355		218		2,075		1,089
Income on bank owned life insurance	1,080		1,189		1,019		5,130		4,701
Realized net gains (losses) on the sale of mortgage servicing rights	—		(18)		—		7,724		—
Net securities gains (losses)	(196)		822		761		(6,102)		(2,199)
Other noninterest income	4,050		4,686		2,687		14,309		10,078
Total noninterest income	$	35,221	$	35,845	$	31,304	$	139,682	$	121,214

NONINTEREST EXPENSE
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits	$	45,458	$	44,593	$	42,730	$	175,619	$	162,597
Data processing expense	6,564		6,910		6,236		27,124		23,708
Net occupancy expense of premises	4,794		4,633		4,318		18,737		18,214
Furniture and equipment expense	1,650		1,647		1,694		6,805		6,759
Professional fees	4,938		3,118		2,574		12,804		7,147
Amortization of intangible assets	2,471		2,548		2,479		10,057		10,432
Interchange expense	1,305		1,352		1,355		6,001		6,864
FDIC insurance	1,330		1,413		1,167		5,603		5,650
Other noninterest expense	9,657		9,712		12,426		37,649		44,161
Total noninterest expense	$	78,167	$	75,926	$	74,979	$	300,399	$	285,532

Income before income taxes	$	37,359	$	42,564	$	33,215	$	153,304	$	153,904
Income taxes	9,254		10,560		7,466		39,613		31,339
Net income	$	28,105	$	32,004	$	25,749	$	113,691	$	122,565

SHARE AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS
Basic earnings per common share	$	0.49	$	0.56	$	0.46	$	2.01	$	2.21
Diluted earnings per common share	$	0.49	$	0.55	$	0.46	$	1.98	$	2.18
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic	57,061,542		57,033,359		55,403,662		56,610,032		55,432,322
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted	57,934,812		57,967,848		56,333,033		57,543,001		56,256,148

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 8

BALANCE SHEET STRENGTH

Our balance sheet remains a source of strength. Total assets were $12.05 billion as of December 31, 2024, compared to $11.99 billion as of September 30, 2024, and $12.28 billion as of December 31, 2023.

We remain steadfast in our conservative approach to underwriting and disciplined approach to pricing, particularly given our outlook for the economy in the coming quarters, and this approach has impacted loan growth as predicted. Portfolio loans totaled $7.70 billion at December 31, 2024, compared to $7.81 billion at September 30, 2024, and $7.65 billion at December 31, 2023.

Average portfolio loans were $7.74 billion for both the fourth quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to $7.87 billion for the third quarter of 2024. Average interest-earning assets were $11.05 billion for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $10.94 billion for the third quarter of 2024, and $11.24 billion for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Total deposits were $9.98 billion at December 31, 2024, compared to $9.94 billion at September 30, 2024, and $10.29 billion at December 31, 2023. Average deposits were $10.05 billion for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $10.00 billion for the third quarter of 2024 and $10.37 billion for the fourth quarter of 2023. Deposit fluctuations over the last several quarters were driven by a number of elements, including (1) seasonal factors, including ordinary course public fund flows and fluctuations in the normal course of business operations of certain core commercial customers, (2) the macroeconomic environment, including prevailing interest rates and inflationary pressures, (3) depositors moving some funds to accounts at competitors offering above-market rates, and (4) deposits moving within the Busey ecosystem between deposit accounts and our wealth management group. Core deposits1 accounted for 96.5% of total deposits as of December 31, 2024. Cost of deposits was 1.75% in the fourth quarter of 2024, which represents a decrease of 10 basis points from the third quarter of 2024. Excluding time deposits, Busey’s cost of deposits was 1.38% in the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease of 12 basis points from the third quarter of 2024. Busey Bank continues to offer savings account specials to customers with larger account balances, with the intention of migrating maturing CDs to these managed rate products. Spot rates on total deposit costs, including noninterest bearing deposits, decreased by 13 basis points from 1.80% at September 30, 2024, to 1.67% at December 31, 2024. Spot rates on interest bearing deposits decreased by 17 basis points from 2.46% at September 30, 2024, to 2.29% at December 31, 2024.

There were no short term borrowings as of December 31 or September 30, 2024, compared to $12.0 million at December 31, 2023. We had no borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, the third quarter of 2024, or the fourth quarter of 2023. We have sufficient on- and off-balance sheet liquidity5 to manage deposit fluctuations and the liquidity needs of our customers. As of December 31, 2024, our available sources of on- and off-balance sheet liquidity totaled $6.19 billion. We have executed various deposit campaigns to attract term funding and savings accounts at a lower rate than our marginal cost of funds. New certificate of deposit production in the fourth quarter of 2024 had a weighted average term of 7.6 months at a rate of 3.58%, 128 basis points below our average marginal wholesale equivalent-term funding cost during the quarter. Furthermore, our balance sheet liquidity profile continues to be aided by the cash flows we expect from our relatively short-duration securities portfolio. Those cash flows were approximately $132.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Cash flows from our securities portfolio are expected to be approximately $353.8 million for 2025, with a current book yield of 1.87%, and approximately $288.3 million for 2026, with a current book yield of 2.03%.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 9

ASSET QUALITY

Credit quality continues to be strong. Loans 30-89 days past due totaled $8.1 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $10.1 million as of September 30, 2024, and $5.8 million as of December 31, 2023. Non-performing loans were $23.2 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $8.2 million as of September 30, 2024, and $7.8 million as of December 31, 2023. The increase relates to one Commercial Real Estate loan that was classified in the fourth quarter of 2023 and was moved to non-accrual during the fourth quarter of 2024. This loan carries a remaining balance of $15.0 million following a $3.0 million charge-off in the fourth quarter of 2024. Continued disciplined credit management resulted in non-performing loans as a percentage of portfolio loans of 0.30% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 0.11% as of September 30, 2024, and 0.10% as of December 31, 2023. Non-performing assets were 0.19% of total assets for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 0.07% for the third quarter of 2024 and 0.06% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Our total classified assets were $85.3 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $89.0 million at September 30, 2024, and $72.3 million at December 31, 2023. Our ratio of classified assets to estimated bank Tier 1 capital4 and reserves remains low by historical standards, at 5.6% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 5.9% as of September 30, 2024, and 5.0% as of December 31, 2023.

Net charge-offs were $2.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $0.2 million for the third quarter of 2024, and $0.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. The fourth quarter charge-off relates to the Commercial Real Estate loan mentioned above. The allowance as a percentage of portfolio loans was 1.08% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 1.09% as of September 30, 2024, and 1.20% as of December 31, 2023. The ratio was impacted in 2024 by the acquisition of M&M’s Life Equity Loan® portfolio, as Busey did not record an allowance for credit loss for these loans due to no expected credit loss at default, as permitted under the practical expedient provided within the Accounting Standards Codification 326-20-35-6. The allowance coverage for non-performing loans was 3.59 times as of December 31, 2024, compared to 10.34 times as of September 30, 2024, and 11.74 times as of December 31, 2023.

Busey maintains a well-diversified loan portfolio and, as a matter of policy and practice, limits concentration exposure in any particular loan segment.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 10


ASSET QUALITY (unaudited)
(dollars in thousands)

	As of
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023
Total assets	$	12,046,722		$	11,986,839		$	12,283,415
Portfolio loans	7,697,087			7,809,097			7,651,034
Loans 30 – 89 days past due	8,124			10,141			5,779
Non-performing loans:
Non-accrual loans	22,088			8,192			7,441
Loans 90+ days past due and still accruing	1,149			25			375
Non-performing loans	$	23,237		$	8,217		$	7,816
Non-performing loans, segregated by geography:
Illinois / Indiana	$	19,558		$	3,981		$	3,715
Missouri	3,016			3,530			3,836
Florida	663			706			265
Other non-performing assets	63			64			125
Non-performing assets	$	23,300		$	8,281		$	7,941

Allowance for credit losses	$	83,404		$	84,981		$	91,740

RATIOS
Non-performing loans to portfolio loans	0.30		%	0.11		%	0.10		%
Non-performing assets to total assets	0.19		%	0.07		%	0.06		%
Non-performing assets to portfolio loans and other non-performing assets	0.30		%	0.11		%	0.10		%
Allowance for credit losses to portfolio loans	1.08		%	1.09		%	1.20		%
Coverage ratio of the allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans	3.59 x			10.34 x			11.74 x


NET CHARGE-OFFS (RECOVERIES) AND PROVISION EXPENSE (RELEASE) (unaudited)
(dollars in thousands)

	Three Months Ended						Years Ended
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023		December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Net charge-offs (recoveries)	$	2,850	$	247	$	425	$	18,169	$	2,267
Provision expense (release)	1,273		2		455		8,590		2,399

NET INTEREST MARGIN AND NET INTEREST INCOME

Net interest margin1 was 2.95% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 3.02% for the third quarter of 2024 and 2.75% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Excluding purchase accounting accretion, adjusted net interest margin1 was 2.92% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 2.97% in the third quarter of 2024 and 2.74% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Net interest income was $81.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $82.6 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $77.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 11

After raising federal funds rates by a total of 525 basis points between March 2022 and July 2023, the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) lowered rates by 100 basis points beginning in September 2024. In anticipation of the FOMC pivot to an easing cycle, we limited our exposure to term funding structures and intentionally priced savings specials to encourage maturing CD balances to migrate to managed rate non-maturity products. Beginning in September we began lowering rates on special priced deposit accounts and other managed rate products to benefit from the FOMC rate cuts. In addition, approximately 7% of our deposit portfolio is indexed and immediately repriced with the rate cuts by the FOMC. CD balances comprise only 15% of the total deposit funding base. If rates move lower in 2025, we have the ability to reprice CD balances due to the short duration term structure of the portfolio. Approximately 58% of Busey’s non-maturity deposits are at rack rates with a weighted average rate of 0.01%. We continue to offer CD specials with shorter term structures as well as offering attractive premium savings rates to encourage rotation of maturing CD deposits into nimble pricing products. Components of the 7 basis point decrease in net interest margin1 during the fourth quarter of 2024 include:

•Reduced non-maturity deposit funding costs contributed +9 basis points

•Increased cash and securities portfolio yield contributed +6 basis points

•Reduced time deposit funding costs contributed +1 basis point

•Decreased loan portfolio and held for sale loan yields contributed -20 basis points

•Decreased purchase accounting contributed -2 basis points

•Increased borrowing expense -1 basis point

Based on our most recent Asset Liability Management Committee (“ALCO”) model, a +100 basis point parallel rate shock is expected to increase net interest income by 2.0% over the subsequent twelve-month period. Busey continues to evaluate and execute off-balance sheet hedging and balance sheet restructuring strategies as well as embedding rate protection in our asset originations to provide stabilization to net interest income in lower rate environments. Time deposit and savings specials have provided funding flows, and we had excess earning cash during the fourth quarter of 2024. Our cumulative interest-bearing non-maturity tightening cycle deposit beta peaked at 41% during the third quarter of 2024. Our total deposit beta for the completed tightening cycle was 34%. Since the onset of the current easing cycle, we have reduced our interest-bearing non-maturity deposit cost of funds by 18 basis points, which represents a 26% easing cycle beta. Deposit betas were calculated based on an average federal funds rate of 4.82% during the fourth quarter of 2024. The average federal funds rate has decreased by 68 basis points since the end of the tightening cycle that concluded in the third quarter of 2024.

NONINTEREST INCOME

Noninterest income was $35.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, as compared to $35.8 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $31.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Excluding the impact of net securities gains and losses and immaterial follow-on adjustments from the previously announced mortgage servicing rights sale, adjusted noninterest income1 was $35.4 million, or 30.3% of operating revenue1, during the fourth quarter of 2024, $35.0 million, or 29.8% of operating revenue, for the third quarter of 2024, and $30.5 million, or 28.3% of operating revenue, for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Consolidated wealth management fees were $16.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $15.4 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $13.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. On a segment basis, Wealth Management generated $17.0 million in revenue during the fourth quarter of 2024, a 22.7% increase over revenue of $13.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Fourth quarter of 2024 results marked a new record high reported quarterly revenue for the Wealth Management operating segment. The Wealth Management operating segment generated net income of $5.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $5.6 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $4.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Busey’s Wealth Management division ended the fourth quarter of 2024 with $13.83 billion in assets under care, compared to $13.69 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2024 and $12.14 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. Our portfolio management team continues to focus on long-term returns and managing risk in the face of volatile markets and has outperformed its blended benchmark6 over the last three and five years.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 12

Payment technology solutions revenue was $5.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $5.3 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $5.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Excluding intracompany eliminations, the FirsTech operating segment generated revenue of $5.4 million during the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $5.6 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $5.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Wealth management fees, wealth management referral income included in other noninterest income, and payment technology solutions represented 62.3% of adjusted noninterest income1 for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Fees for customer services were $7.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $8.2 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $7.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Other noninterest income was $4.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $4.7 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The third quarter of 2024 benefited from $0.8 million in revenue associated with certain wealth management activities that was reported as other noninterest income; in comparison, other noninterest income from wealth management activities was $0.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $0.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Compared to the prior quarter, we also saw decreases in venture capital income and swap origination fee income, which were mostly offset by increases in commercial loan sales gains. When compared with the fourth quarter of 2023, increases in other noninterest income were primarily attributable to increases in commercial loan sales gains and venture capital income, as well as the addition of Life Equity Loan® servicing income beginning in the second quarter of 2024.

OPERATING EFFICIENCY

Noninterest expense was $78.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $75.9 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $75.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. The efficiency ratio1 was 64.5% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 62.1% for the third quarter of 2024, and 66.9% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted core expense1 was $72.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $71.0 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $65.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The adjusted core efficiency ratio1 was 61.8% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 60.2% for the third quarter of 2024, and 60.1% for the fourth quarter of 2023. We expect to continue to prudently manage our expenses and to realize the full extent of M&M acquisition synergies in 2025.

Noteworthy components of noninterest expense are as follows:

•Salaries, wages, and employee benefits expenses were $45.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $44.6 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $42.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Busey recorded $0.2 million of non-operating salaries, wages, and employee benefit expenses in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $0.1 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $3.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Our associate-base consisted of 1,509 full-time equivalents as of December 31, 2024, compared to 1,510 as of September 30, 2024, and 1,479 as of December 31, 2023. The increase in our associate-base in 2024 was largely due to the M&M acquisition.

•Data processing expense was $6.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $6.9 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $6.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Busey has continued to make investments in technology enhancements and has also experienced inflation-driven price increases.

•Professional fees were $4.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $3.1 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $2.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Busey recorded $3.0 million of non-operating professional fees in the fourth quarter of 2024, as compared to $1.4 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $0.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Fourth quarter of 2024 non-operating professional fees consisted of $1.9 million related to merger activities and $1.1 million in restructuring activities related to corporate strategy advisement.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 13

•Other noninterest expense was $9.7 million for both the third and fourth quarters of 2024, compared to $12.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Busey recorded $0.3 million of non-operating costs in other noninterest expense in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $0.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. In connection with Busey’s adoption of ASU 2023-02 on January 1, 2024, Busey began recording amortization of New Markets Tax Credits as income tax expense instead of other operating expense, which resulted in a decrease to other operating expenses of $2.3 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Other items contributing to the fluctuations in other noninterest expense included the provision for unfunded commitments, mortgage servicing rights valuation expenses, fixed asset impairment, marketing, business development, and expenses related to recruiting and onboarding.

Busey's effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 24.8%, which was lower than the combined federal and state statutory rate of approximately 28.0% due to the impact of tax exempt interest income, such as municipal bond interest, bank owned life insurance income, and investments in various federal and state tax credits. Busey’s effective tax rate for the full year 2024 was 25.8%. In the second quarter of 2024, Busey recorded a one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment of $1.4 million resulting from a change to our Illinois apportionment rate due to recently enacted regulations. These newly enacted regulations are expected to lower our tax obligation in future periods. Excluding the impact of the one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment, our effective tax rate for the full year 2024 would have been 24.9%.

Effective tax rates were higher in 2024, compared to 2023, due to the adoption of ASU 2023-02 in January 2024. Upon adoption of ASU 2023-02 Busey elected to use the proportional amortization method of accounting for equity investments made primarily for the purpose of receiving income tax credits. The proportional amortization method results in the cost of the investment being amortized in proportion to the income tax credits and other income tax benefits received, with the amortization of the investment and the income tax credits being presented net in the income statement as a component of income tax expense as opposed to being presented on a gross basis on the income statement as a component of noninterest expense and income tax expense.

CAPITAL STRENGTH

Busey's strong capital levels, coupled with its earnings, have allowed the Company to provide a steady return to its stockholders through dividends. On January 31, 2025, Busey will pay a cash dividend of $0.25 per common share to stockholders of record as of January 24, 2025, which represents a 4.2% increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share. Busey has consistently paid dividends to its common stockholders since the bank holding company was organized in 1980.

As of December 31, 2024, Busey continued to exceed the capital adequacy requirements necessary to be considered “well-capitalized” under applicable regulatory guidelines. Busey’s Common Equity Tier 1 ratio is estimated4 to be 14.10% at December 31, 2024, compared to 13.78% at September 30, 2024, and 13.09% at December 31, 2023. Our Total Capital to Risk Weighted Assets ratio is estimated4 to be 18.53% at December 31, 2024, compared to 18.19% at September 30, 2024, and 17.44% at December 31, 2023.

Busey’s tangible common equity1 was $1.02 billion at December 31, 2024, compared to $1.04 billion at September 30, 2024, and $925.0 million at December 31, 2023. Tangible common equity1 represented 8.76% of tangible assets at December 31, 2024, compared to 8.96% at September 30, 2024, and 7.75% at December 31, 2023. Busey’s tangible book value per common share1 was $17.88 at December 31, 2024, compared to $18.19 at September 30, 2024, and $16.62 at December 31, 2023, reflecting a 7.6% year-over-year increase. The ratios of tangible common equity to tangible assets1 and tangible book value per common share have been impacted by the fair value adjustment of Busey’s securities portfolio as a result of the current rate environment, which is reflected in the accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component of stockholder’s equity.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 14

FOURTH QUARTER EARNINGS INVESTOR PRESENTATION

For additional information on Busey’s financial condition and operating results, please refer to the Q4 2024 Earnings Investor Presentation furnished via Form 8-K on January 28, 2025, in connection with this earnings release.

CORPORATE PROFILE

As of December 31, 2024, First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE) was an $12.05 billion financial holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.

Busey Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation, had total assets of $12.01 billion as of December 31, 2024, and is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. Busey Bank currently has 62 banking centers, with 21 in Central Illinois markets, 17 in suburban Chicago markets, 20 in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, three in Southwest Florida, and one in Indianapolis. More information about Busey Bank can be found at busey.com.

Through Busey’s Wealth Management division, the Company provides a full range of asset management, investment, brokerage, fiduciary, philanthropic advisory, tax preparation, and farm management services to individuals, businesses, and foundations. Assets under care totaled $13.83 billion as of December 31, 2024. More information about Busey’s Wealth Management services can be found at busey.com/wealth-management.

Busey Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, FirsTech, specializes in the evolving financial technology needs of small and medium-sized businesses, highly regulated enterprise industries, and financial institutions. FirsTech provides comprehensive and innovative payment technology solutions, including online, mobile, and voice-recognition bill payments; money and data movement; merchant services; direct debit services; lockbox remittance processing for payments made by mail; and walk-in payments at retail agents. Additionally, FirsTech simplifies client workflows through integrations enabling support with billing, reconciliation, bill reminders, and treasury services. More information about FirsTech can be found at firstechpayments.com.

For the first time, Busey was named among the World’s Best Banks for 2024 by Forbes, earning a spot on the list among 68 U.S. banks and 403 banks worldwide. Additionally, Busey Bank was honored to be named among America’s Best Banks by Forbes magazine for the third consecutive year. Ranked 40th overall in 2024, Busey was the second-ranked bank headquartered in Illinois of the six banks that made this year’s list and the highest-ranked bank of those with more than $10 billion in assets. Busey is humbled to be named among the 2024 Best Banks to Work For by American Banker, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions and Investments, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois by Daily Herald Business Ledger, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and the 2024 Best Companies to Work For in Florida by Florida Trend magazine. We are honored to be consistently recognized globally, nationally and locally for our engaged culture of integrity and commitment to community development.

For more information about us, visit busey.com.

Category: Financial
Source: First Busey Corporation

Contacts:

Jeffrey D. Jones, Chief Financial Officer
217-365-4130

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 15

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION

This earnings release contains certain financial information determined by methods other than GAAP. Management uses these non-GAAP measures, together with the related GAAP measures, in analysis of Busey’s performance and in making business decisions, as well as for comparison to Busey’s peers. Busey believes the adjusted measures are useful for investors and management to understand the effects of certain non-core and non-recurring noninterest items and provide additional perspective on Busey’s performance over time.

Below is a reconciliation to what management believes to be the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures—specifically, net interest income, total noninterest income, net security gains and losses, and total noninterest expense in the case of pre-provision net revenue, adjusted pre-provision net revenue, pre-provision net revenue to average assets, and adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average assets; net income in the case of adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets, average tangible common equity, return on average tangible common equity, adjusted return on average tangible common equity; net income and net security gains and losses in the case of further adjusted net income and further adjusted diluted earnings per share; net interest income in the case of adjusted net interest income and adjusted net interest margin; net interest income, total noninterest income, and total noninterest expense in the case of adjusted noninterest income, adjusted noninterest expense, noninterest expense excluding non-operating adjustments, adjusted core expense, efficiency ratio, adjusted efficiency ratio, and adjusted core efficiency ratio; net interest income, total noninterest income, net securities gains and losses, and net gains and losses on the sale of mortgage servicing rights in the case of operating revenue and adjusted noninterest income to operating revenue; total assets and goodwill and other intangible assets in the case of tangible assets; total stockholders’ equity in the case of tangible book value per common share; total assets and total stockholders’ equity in the case of tangible common equity and tangible common equity to tangible assets; and total deposits in the case of core deposits and core deposits to total deposits.

These non-GAAP disclosures have inherent limitations and are not audited. They should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for operating results reported in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Tax effected numbers included in these non-GAAP disclosures are based on estimated statutory rates, estimated federal income tax rates, or effective tax rates, as noted with the tables below.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 16

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited)


Pre-Provision Net Revenue and Related Measures



		Three Months Ended									Years Ended
(dollars in thousands)		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023

Net interest income (GAAP)		$	81,578		$	82,647		$	77,345		$	322,611		$	320,621
Total noninterest income (GAAP)		35,221			35,845			31,304			139,682			121,214
Net security (gains) losses (GAAP)		196			(822)			(761)			6,102			2,199
Total noninterest expense (GAAP)		(78,167)			(75,926)			(74,979)			(300,399)			(285,532)
Pre-provision net revenue (Non-GAAP)	[a]	38,828			41,744			32,909			167,996			158,502

Acquisition and restructuring expenses		3,585			1,935			4,237			8,140			4,328
Provision for unfunded commitments		(455)			407			818			(1,095)			461
Amortization of New Markets Tax Credits		—			—			2,259			—			8,999
Realized (gain) loss on the sale of mortgage service rights		—			18			—			(7,724)			—
Adjusted pre-provision net revenue (Non-GAAP)	[b]	$	41,958		$	44,104		$	40,223		$	167,317		$	172,290



Average total assets (GAAP)	[c]	12,085,993			12,007,702			12,308,491			12,051,871			12,246,218

Pre-provision net revenue to average total assets (Non-GAAP)1	[a÷c]	1.28		%	1.38		%	1.06		%	1.39		%	1.29		%
Adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average total assets (Non-GAAP)1	[b÷c]	1.38		%	1.46		%	1.30		%	1.39		%	1.41		%

___________________________________________

1.For quarterly periods, measures are annualized.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 17

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited)


Adjusted Net Income, Average Tangible Common Equity, and Related Ratios



		Three Months Ended									Years Ended
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023

Net income (GAAP)	[a]	$	28,105		$	32,004		$	25,749		$	113,691		$	122,565

Acquisition expenses:
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits		247			73			—			1,457			—
Data processing		14			90			—			548			—

Professional fees, occupancy, furniture and fixtures, and other		2,208			1,772			266			4,896			357
Restructuring expenses:
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits		—			—			3,760			123			3,760


Professional fees, occupancy, furniture and fixtures, and other		1,116			—			211			1,116			211
Acquisition and restructuring expenses		3,585			1,935			4,237			8,140			4,328
Related tax benefit1		(965)			(406)			(863)			(2,026)			(881)
Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)	[b]	$	30,725		$	33,533		$	29,123		$	119,805		$	126,012


Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (GAAP)	[c]	57,934,812			57,967,848			56,333,033			57,543,001			56,256,148

Diluted earnings per common share (GAAP)	[a÷c]	$	0.49		$	0.55		$	0.46		$	1.98		$	2.18
Adjusted diluted earnings per common share (Non-GAAP)	[b÷c]	$	0.53		$	0.58		$	0.52		$	2.08		$	2.24




Average total assets (GAAP)	[d]	12,085,993			12,007,702			12,308,491			12,051,871			12,246,218

Return on average assets (GAAP)2	[a÷d]	0.93		%	1.06		%	0.83		%	0.94		%	1.00		%
Adjusted return on average assets (Non-GAAP)2	[b÷d]	1.01		%	1.11		%	0.94		%	0.99		%	1.03		%


Average common equity (GAAP)		$	1,396,939		$	1,364,377		$	1,202,417		$	1,342,424		$	1,197,511
Average goodwill and other intangible assets, net		(367,400)			(369,720)			(355,469)			(366,601)			(359,347)
Average tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)	[e]	$	1,029,539		$	994,657		$	846,948		$	975,823		$	838,164

Return on average tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)2	[a÷e]	10.86		%	12.80		%	12.06		%	11.65		%	14.62		%
Adjusted return on average tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)2	[b÷e]	11.87		%	13.41		%	13.64		%	12.28		%	15.03		%

___________________________________________

1.Year-to-date tax benefits were calculated by multiplying year-to-date acquisition and restructuring expenses by tax rates of 24.9% and 20.4% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Quarterly tax benefits were calculated as the year-to-date tax benefit amounts less the sum of amounts applied to previous quarters during the year, equating to tax rates of 26.9%, 21.0%, and 20.4% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively.

2.For quarterly periods, measures are annualized.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 18

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited)


Further Adjusted Net Income and Related Measures



		Three Months Ended						Years Ended
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023		December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)1		$	30,725	$	33,533	$	29,123	$	119,805	$	126,012
Further non-GAAP adjustments:
Net securities (gains) losses		196		(822)		(761)		6,102		2,199
Realized net (gains) losses on the sale of mortgage servicing rights		—		18		—		(7,724)		—
Tax effect for further non-GAAP adjustments2		(49)		199		171		419		(448)
Tax effected further non-GAAP adjustments3		147		(605)		(590)		(1,203)		1,751
Further adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)3	[a]	$	30,872	$	32,928	$	28,533	$	118,602	$	127,763
One-time deferred tax valuation adjustment4		—		—		—		1,446		—
Further adjusted net income, excluding one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment (Non-GAAP)3	[b]	$	30,872	$	32,928	$	28,533	$	120,048	$	127,763

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted	[c]	57,934,812		57,967,848		56,333,033		57,543,001		56,256,148


Further adjusted diluted earnings per common share (Non-GAAP)3	[a÷c]	$	0.53	$	0.57	$	0.51	$	2.06	$	2.27
Further adjusted diluted earnings per common share, excluding one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment (Non-GAAP)3	[b÷c]	$	0.53	$	0.57	$	0.51	$	2.09	$	2.27

___________________________________________

1.Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP measure. See the table on page 18 for a reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure.

2.Tax effects for further non-GAAP adjustments were calculated by multiplying further non-GAAP adjustments by the effective income tax rate for each period. Effective income tax rates that were used to calculate the tax effect were 24.8%, 24.8%, and 22.5% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively, and were 25.8% and 20.4% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

3.Tax-effected measure.

4.An estimated one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment of $1.4 million resulted from a change to our Illinois apportionment rate due to recently enacted regulations.


Tax-Equivalent Net Interest Income, Adjusted Net Interest Income, Net Interest Margin, and Adjusted Net Interest Margin



		Three Months Ended									Years Ended
(dollars in thousands)		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Net interest income (GAAP)		$	81,578		$	82,647		$	77,345		$	322,611		$	320,621

Tax-equivalent adjustment1		446			396			501			1,693			2,173
Tax-equivalent net interest income (Non-GAAP)	[a]	82,024			83,043			77,846			324,304			322,794
Purchase accounting accretion related to business combinations		(812)			(1,338)			(384)			(3,166)			(1,477)
Adjusted net interest income (Non-GAAP)	[b]	$	81,212		$	81,705		$	77,462		$	321,138		$	321,317



Average interest-earning assets (GAAP)	[c]	11,048,350			10,942,745			11,235,326			10,999,424			11,181,010

Net interest margin (Non-GAAP)2	[a÷c]	2.95		%	3.02		%	2.75		%	2.95		%	2.89		%
Adjusted net interest margin (Non-GAAP)2	[b÷c]	2.92		%	2.97		%	2.74		%	2.92		%	2.87		%

___________________________________________

1.Tax-equivalent adjustments were calculated using an estimated federal income tax rate of 21%, applied to non-taxable interest income on investments and loans.

2.For quarterly periods, measures are annualized.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 19

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited)


Adjusted Noninterest Income, Revenue Measures, Adjusted Noninterest Expense, Adjusted Core Expense, and Efficiency Ratios



		Three Months Ended									Years Ended
(dollars in thousands)		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023			December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Net interest income (GAAP)	[a]	$	81,578		$	82,647		$	77,345		$	322,611		$	320,621

Tax-equivalent adjustment1		446			396			501			1,693			2,173
Tax-equivalent net interest income (Non-GAAP)	[b]	82,024			83,043			77,846			324,304			322,794

Total noninterest income (GAAP)		35,221			35,845			31,304			139,682			121,214

Net security (gains) losses (GAAP)		196			(822)			(761)			6,102			2,199
Noninterest income excluding net securities gains and losses (Non-GAAP)	[c]	35,417			35,023			30,543			145,784			123,413

Realized net (gains) losses on the sale of mortgage servicing rights (GAAP)		—			18			—			(7,724)			—
Adjusted noninterest income (Non-GAAP)	[d]	$	35,417		$	35,041		$	30,543		$	138,060		$	123,413

Tax-equivalent revenue (Non-GAAP)	[e = b+c]	$	117,441		$	118,066		$	108,389		$	470,088		$	446,207
Adjusted tax-equivalent revenue (Non-GAAP)	[f = b+d]	117,441			118,084			108,389			462,364			446,207
Operating revenue (Non-GAAP)	[g = a+d]	116,995			117,688			107,888			460,671			444,034

Adjusted noninterest income to operating revenue (Non-GAAP)	[d÷g]	30.27		%	29.77		%	28.31		%	29.97		%	27.79		%

Total noninterest expense (GAAP)		$	78,167		$	75,926		$	74,979		$	300,399		$	285,532

Amortization of intangible assets (GAAP)	[h]	(2,471)			(2,548)			(2,479)			(10,057)			(10,432)
Noninterest expense excluding amortization of intangible assets (Non-GAAP)	[i]	75,696			73,378			72,500			290,342			275,100
Non-operating adjustments:
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits		(247)			(73)			(3,760)			(1,580)			(3,760)
Data processing		(14)			(90)			—			(548)			—

Professional fees, occupancy, furniture and fixtures, and other		(3,324)			(1,772)			(477)			(6,012)			(568)
Adjusted noninterest expense (Non-GAAP)	[j]	72,111			71,443			68,263			282,202			270,772
Provision for unfunded commitments		455			(407)			(818)			1,095			(461)
Amortization of New Markets Tax Credits		—			—			(2,259)			—			(8,999)
Adjusted core expense (Non-GAAP)	[k]	$	72,566		$	71,036		$	65,186		$	283,297		$	261,312

Noninterest expense, excluding non-operating adjustments (Non-GAAP)	[j-h]	$	74,582		$	73,991		$	70,742		$	292,259		$	281,204

Efficiency ratio (Non-GAAP)	[i÷e]	64.45		%	62.15		%	66.89		%	61.76		%	61.65		%
Adjusted efficiency ratio (Non-GAAP)	[j÷f]	61.40		%	60.50		%	62.98		%	61.03		%	60.68		%
Adjusted core efficiency ratio (Non-GAAP)	[k÷f]	61.79		%	60.16		%	60.14		%	61.27		%	58.56		%

___________________________________________

1.Tax-equivalent adjustments were calculated using an estimated federal income tax rate of 21%, applied to non-taxable interest income on investments and loans.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 20

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited)


Tangible Book Value and Tangible Book Value Per Common Share


		As of
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
Total stockholders' equity (GAAP)		$	1,383,269	$	1,402,884	$	1,271,981

Goodwill and other intangible assets, net (GAAP)		(365,975)		(368,249)		(353,864)
Tangible book value (Non-GAAP)	[a]	$	1,017,294	$	1,034,635	$	918,117

Ending number of common shares outstanding (GAAP)	[b]	56,895,981		56,872,241		55,244,119

Tangible book value per common share (Non-GAAP)	[a÷b]	$	17.88	$	18.19	$	16.62


Tangible Assets, Tangible Common Equity, and Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets


		As of
(dollars in thousands)		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023
Total assets (GAAP)		$	12,046,722		$	11,986,839		$	12,283,415

Goodwill and other intangible assets, net (GAAP)		(365,975)			(368,249)			(353,864)
Tax effect of other intangible assets1		6,379			7,178			6,888
Tangible assets (Non-GAAP)2	[a]	$	11,687,126		$	11,625,768		$	11,936,439

Total stockholders' equity (GAAP)		$	1,383,269		$	1,402,884		$	1,271,981

Goodwill and other intangible assets, net (GAAP)		(365,975)			(368,249)			(353,864)
Tax effect of other intangible assets1		6,379			7,178			6,888
Tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)2	[b]	$	1,023,673		$	1,041,813		$	925,005

Tangible common equity to tangible assets (Non-GAAP)2	[b÷a]	8.76		%	8.96		%	7.75		%

___________________________________________

1.Net of estimated deferred tax liability, calculated using an estimated tax rate of 26.73% as of December 31, 2024, and 28% as of September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023.

2.Tax-effected measure.


Core Deposits and Related Ratios


		As of
(dollars in thousands)		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			December 31, 2023
Portfolio loans (GAAP)	[a]	$	7,697,087		$	7,809,097		$	7,651,034





Total deposits (GAAP)	[b]	$	9,982,490		$	9,943,241		$	10,291,156

Brokered deposits, excluding brokered time deposits of $250,000 or more		(13,090)			(13,089)			(6,001)
Time deposits of $250,000 or more		(334,503)			(338,808)			(386,286)

Core deposits (Non-GAAP)	[c]	$	9,634,897		$	9,591,344		$	9,898,869

RATIOS

Core deposits to total deposits (Non-GAAP)	[c÷b]	96.52		%	96.46		%	96.19		%
Portfolio loans to core deposits (Non-GAAP)	[a÷c]	79.89		%	81.42		%	77.29		%

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 21

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to Busey’s financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, and business. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Busey’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “position,” or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Busey undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

A number of factors, many of which are beyond Busey’s ability to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (1) risks related to the proposed transaction with CrossFirst, including (i) the possibility that the proposed transaction will not close when expected or at all because conditions to the closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all; (ii) the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction will not be realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the strength of the economy and competitive factors in the areas where Busey and CrossFirst do business; (iii) the possibility that the merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; (iv) diversion of management's attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; (v) the possibility that Busey may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies in the merger within the expected timeframes or at all, and to successfully integrate CrossFirst's operations with those of Busey or that such integration may be more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected; (vi) revenues following the proposed transaction may be lower than expected; and (vii) stockholder litigation that could prevent or delay the closing of the proposed transaction or otherwise negatively impact our business and operations; (2) the strength of the local, state, national, and international economies and financial markets (including effects of inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints); (3) effects on the U.S. economy resulting from the implementation of policies proposed by the new presidential administration, including tariffs, mass deportations, and tax regulations; (4) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats or attacks, widespread disease or pandemics, or other adverse external events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets (including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East); (5) changes in state and federal laws, regulations, and governmental policies concerning Busey's general business (including changes in response to the failures of other banks or as a result changes in policies implemented by the new presidential administration); (6) changes in accounting policies and practices; (7) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of Busey’s assets (including the impact of sustained elevated interest rates); (8) increased competition in the financial services sector (including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and fintech companies) and the inability to attract new customers; (9) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (10) the loss of key executives or associates; (11) changes in consumer spending; (12) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation, investigations, or inquiries involving Busey (including with respect to Busey’s Illinois franchise taxes); (13) fluctuations in the value of securities held in Busey’s securities portfolio; (14) concentrations within Busey’s loan portfolio (including commercial real estate loans), large loans to certain borrowers, and large deposits from certain clients; (15) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits and may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (16) the level of non-performing assets on Busey’s balance sheets; (17) interruptions involving information technology and communications systems or third-party servicers; (18) breaches or failures of information security controls or cybersecurity-related incidents; and (19) the economic impact of exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, and droughts. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

Additional information concerning Busey and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect Busey’s financial results, is included in Busey’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 22

END NOTES


1			Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. For a reconciliation to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), see "Non-GAAP Financial Information.”
2			Estimated uninsured and uncollateralized deposits consist of account balances in excess of the $250 thousand FDIC insurance limit, less intercompany accounts and collateralized accounts (including preferred deposits).
3			Central Business District areas within Busey’s footprint include downtown St. Louis, downtown Indianapolis, and downtown Chicago.
4			Capital amounts and ratios for the fourth quarter of 2024 are not yet finalized and are subject to change.
5			On- and off-balance sheet liquidity is comprised of cash and cash equivalents, debt securities excluding those pledged as collateral, brokered deposits, and Busey’s borrowing capacity through its revolving credit facility, the FHLB, the Federal Reserve Bank, and federal funds purchased lines.
6			The blended benchmark consists of 60% MSCI All Country World Index and 40% Bloomberg Intermediate US Government/Credit Total Return Index.

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) | 2024 Q4 — 23

First Busey Corporation

100 W. University Ave., Champaign, IL 61820

NASDAQ: BUSE

Busey’s Financial Suite of Services


Member FDIC						busey.com

Q4 2024 EARNINGS INVESTOR PRESENTATION January 28, 2025

2 24Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to First Busey Corporation’s (“Busey’s”) financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, and business. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Busey’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “position,” or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Busey undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events. (1) risks related to the proposed transaction with CrossFirst Bankshares Inc. (“CrossFirst”), including (i) the possibility that the proposed transaction will not close when expected or at all because conditions to the closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all; (ii) the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction will not be realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the strength of the economy and competitive factors in the areas where Busey and CrossFirst do business; (iii) the possibility that the merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; (iv) diversion of management's attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; (v) the possibility that Busey may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies in the merger within the expected timeframes or at all, and to successfully integrate CrossFirst's operations with those of Busey or that such integration may be more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected; (vi) revenues following the proposed transaction may be lower than expected; and (vii) stockholder litigation that could prevent or delay the closing of the proposed transaction or otherwise negatively impact our business and operations; (2) the strength of the local, state, national, and international economies and financial markets (including effects of inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints); (3) effects on the U.S. economy resulting from the implementation of policies proposed by the new presidential administration, including tariffs, mass deportations, and tax regulations; (4) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats or attacks, widespread disease or pandemics, or other adverse external events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets (including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East); (5) changes in state and federal laws, regulations, and governmental policies concerning Busey's general business (including changes in response to the failures of other banks or as a result changes in policies implemented by the new presidential administration); (6) changes in accounting policies and practices; (7) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of Busey’s assets (including the impact of sustained elevated interest rates); (8) increased competition in the financial services sector (including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and fintech companies) and the inability to attract new customers; (9) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (10) the loss of key executives or associates; (11) changes in consumer spending; (12) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation, investigations, or inquiries involving Busey (including with respect to Busey’s Illinois franchise taxes); (13) fluctuations in the value of securities held in Busey’s securities portfolio; (14) concentrations within Busey’s loan portfolio (including commercial real estate loans), large loans to certain borrowers, and large deposits from certain clients; (15) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits and may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (16) the level of non-performing assets on Busey’s balance sheets; (17) interruptions involving information technology and communications systems or third-party servicers; (18) breaches or failures of information security controls or cybersecurity-related incidents; and (19) the economic impact of exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, and droughts. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Additional information concerning Busey and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect Busey’s financial results, is included in Busey’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements

3 34Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Table of Contents Overview of First Busey Corporation (BUSE) 4 Diversified Company with Comprehensive & Innovative Financial Solutions 5 Appendix: 31 Compelling Regional Operating Model 6 Experienced Management Team 32 Investment Highlights 7 Fully Integrated Wealth Platform 33 Fortress Balance Sheet 8 FirsTech, A Uniquely Positioned Payment Technology Company 34 Transformational Partnership with CrossFirst Bankshares 9 Busey Impact 36 Track Record of Successful Integrations 11 Non-GAAP Financial Information 37 High Quality Loan Portfolio 12 High Quality Portfolio: CRE 13 Office Investor Owned CRE Portfolio 14 High Quality Portfolio: C&I 15 Pristine Credit Quality 16 Credit Profile Bolstered by Strong Reserves 17 Top Tier Core Deposit Franchise 18 Granular, Stable Deposit Base 19 Deposit Cost Trends 20 Net Interest Margin 21 Diversified and Significant Sources of Fee Income 22 Wealth Management 23 FirsTech 24 Balanced, Low-Risk, Short-Duration Investment Portfolio 25 Actively Managing Well-Positioned Balance Sheet 26 Focused Control on Expenses 27 Robust Capital Foundation 28 4Q24 Earnings Review 29 Earnings Performance 30

4 44Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Overview of First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ: BUSE) Price Per Share $23.53 Market Cap $1.3B Dividend Yield 4.2% Price/TBV 1.3x Price/2025E 3 9.4x Dec--23 Mar--24 Jun--24 Sep--24 Dec--24 20 22 24 26 28 30 $ in millions 2022 2023 2024 Total Assets $12,337 $12,283 $12,047 Total Loans $7,726 $7,651 $7,697 Total Deposits $10,071 $10,291 $9,982 Total Equity $1,146 $1,272 $1,383 Total Wealth AUC $11,062 $12,137 $13,834 NPA/Assets 0.13 % 0.06 % 0.19 % Net Interest Margin 1 2.84 % 2.89 % 2.95 % Adj. Nonint. Income % of Operating Revenue 1 28.5 % 27.8 % 30.0 % Adj. PPNR ROAA 1 1.44 % 1.41 % 1.39 % Adj. ROAA 1 1.06 % 1.03 % 0.99 % Adj. ROATCE 1 15.99 % 15.03 % 12.28 % 1 Non-GAAP calculation, see Appendix | 2 Market Data for BUSE updated to close on 1/27/25, per Nasdaq | 3 Based on consensus median net income of covering analysts as of 1/27/25 Northern (IL) Central (IL/IN) Gateway (MO/IL) Florida 157+ year old financial institution headquartered in Champaign, IL Business Banking Personal Banking Wealth Management Payment Tech Solutions Regional operating model serving four regions BUSE Stock 2Financial Highlights

5 54Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE 1 Consolidated | 2 Busey Bank segment, excluding Wealth Management & FirsTech; excludes intracompany eliminations and consolidations | 3 Consolidated; Non-GAAP calculation. Based on a four-quarter average of average tangible common equity | 4 Wealth Management segment | 5 LTM total payments processed | 6 FirsTech segment, excludes intracompany eliminations $12 Billion 44 Million Payments Processed 5 Transactions Processed (FY 2024) Full suite of diversified financial products for individuals and businesses Wealth & asset management services for individuals and businesses Payment platform that enables the collection of payments across a variety of modules $12.0 Billion Assets 1 12.3% Adj. ROATCE (FY 2024) 3 $13.8 Billion Assets Under Care 44.6% PT Margin (FY 2024) $391.4 Million 2024 Revenue 2 $65.0 Million 2024 Revenue 4 $23.1 Million 2024 Revenue 6 Diversified Company with Comprehensive & Innovative Financial Solutions

6 64Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Compelling Regional Operating Model Loans Banking Centers Legacy Institutions Deposits Northern Chicago suburbs Gateway St. Louis MSA Central Central IL, Joliet, Indiana Florida Southwest Florida 1128 20 3 $5.3 billion $1.8 billion$2.4 billion $0.4 billion $3.2 billion Busey Main Street Herget South Side As of 12/31/24 AUC $9.8 billion $1.3 billion$1.6 billion $1.1 billion $1.6 billion $2.4 billion $0.5 billion Pulaski Bank of Edwardsville First Community Glenview State Bank Merchants & Manufacturers Busey Investors’ Security Trust Regions Integrated enterprise-wide go-to-market strategy focused on combining the power of commercial & wealth to provide a broad set of financial solutions to well-capitalized individuals and the companies they own & operate

7 74Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ 62 branches across four states: Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, and Florida ▪ Premier commercial bank, wealth management, and payment technology solutions for individuals and businesses ▪ Attractive core deposit to total deposit ratio (96.5%)1, low-cost non-time deposits (138 bps) in 4Q24, and low level of uninsured & uncollateralized deposits2 (30%) at 12/31/24 ▪ Substantial investments in technology enterprise-wide, deep leadership bench, and risk management infrastructure Attractive Franchise that Provides Innovative Financial Solutions Attractive Profitability and Returns ▪ Adjusted ROAA1 of 1.01% for 4Q24 and 0.99% for FY 2024 ▪ Adjusted ROATCE1 of 11.87% for 4Q24 and 12.28% for FY 2024 ▪ Net interest margin1 of 2.95% for 4Q24 and 2.95% for FY 2024 ▪ Adjusted core efficiency ratio1 of 61.8% for 4Q24 and 61.3% for FY 2024 ▪ Adjusted diluted EPS1 of $0.53 for 4Q24 and $2.08 for FY 2024 ▪ Quarterly dividend of $0.25 (4.2% yield)3 ▪ Announced quarterly dividend of $0.25 on 1/14/25; an increase of $0.01, or +4.2% Disciplined Growth Strategy Driven by Regional Operating Model ▪ Organic growth across key business lines driven by an approach that brings the full weight of commercial, wealth and FirsTech operations to market under a regional operating model sales structure ▪ Efficient and right-sized branch network (average deposits per branch of $161 million) ▪ Leverage track record as proven successful acquirer to expand operations through disciplined M&A; anticipate closing merger with CrossFirst Bankshares on 3/1/25 Powerful Combination of Three Business Lines Drives Strong Noninterest Income ▪ Significant revenue derived from diverse and complementary fee income sources ▪ Noninterest income represented 30.3% of operating revenue for 4Q24 (ex net securities losses) ▪ Wealth management fees, wealth management referral income included in other noninterest income, and payment technology solutions income represented 62% of total noninterest income (ex net securities losses) in 4Q24 ▪ Sizable business lines provide for a full suite of solutions for our clients across their lifecycle 1 Non-GAAP calculation, see Appendix | 2 Estimated uninsured & uncollateralized deposits consists of the excess of accounts over $250K FDIC insurance limit, less internal accounts and fully-collateralized accounts (incl. preferred deposits) | 3 Based on BUSE closing stock price on 1/27/25 Investment Highlights BUILT ON A FORTRESS BALANCE SHEET Pristine asset quality, highly diversified loan portfolio, & capital levels significantly in excess of well-capitalized minimums

8 84Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ Capital ratios significantly in excess of well-capitalized minimums ▪ Leverage ratio of 11.1%, CET1 ratio of 14.1%, and Total RBC of 18.5% at 12/31/245 ▪ TCE/TA ratio of 8.76% at 12/31/243, up from 7.75% at 12/31/23 ▪ TBV per share of $17.88 at 12/31/243, an increase of 7.6% from $16.62 at 12/31/23 Robust Capital Foundation High Quality, Resilient Loan Portfolio ▪ Diversified portfolio, conservatively underwritten with low levels of concentration ▪ Non-performing (0.19% of total assets) and classified assets (5.6% of capital1) both remain low ▪ Strong reserve levels: ACL/Loans 1.08% | ACL/NPLs 3.59x ▪ 100 / 300 Test: 25% C&D | 184% CRE ▪ Minimal office CRE-I located in metro central business districts2; substantial majority of office properties are in-market suburban locations and medical offices account for 37% of the office CRE-I portfolio ▪ Robust holding company and bank-level liquidity ▪ Strong, low-cost core deposit franchise (1.75% total cost of deposits in 4Q24) ▪ 77.1% loan-to-deposit ratio, 96.5% core deposits3 ▪ 27.2% of total deposits are noninterest-bearing ▪ Low level of estimated uninsured & uncollateralized deposits4 at 30% of total deposits at 12/31/24 ▪ Cash & Equivalents + Available-For-Sale Securities carrying value represents 85% of estimated uninsured & uncollateralized deposits4 ▪ Substantial sources of available off-balance sheet contingent funding totaling $3.8 billion, representing an additional 1.3x coverage of estimated uninsured & uncollateralized deposits4 at 12/31/24 ▪ Untapped borrowing capacity ($3.8 billion in aggregate): $1.7 billion with FHLB, $0.6 billion with FRB discount window, $0.5 billion with Unsecured Fed Funds lines, and $1.0 billion brokered deposit capacity ▪ Brokered deposit market continues to remain largely untapped ▪ No borrowings from FHLB as of 12/31/24 Strong Core Deposit Franchise & Ample Liquidity 1 Capital calculated as Bank Tier 1 Capital (preliminary estimate) + Allowance for credit losses | 2 Central Business Districts within Busey’s footprint include downtown Chicago, downtown St. Louis, and downtown Indianapolis | 3 Non-GAAP calculation, see Appendix | 4 Estimated uninsured & uncollateralized deposits consists of the excess of accounts over $250K FDIC insurance limit, less internal accounts and fully-collateralized accounts (including preferred deposits) | 5 Capital ratios are preliminary estimates Fortress Balance Sheet

9 94Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Transformational Partnership with CrossFirst Bankshares 1 Metrics as announced 8/27/24 BUSEY BANK LOCATIONS CROSSFIRST BANK LOCATIONS First Busey Corp. announced a transformative partnership with CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. on August 27, 2024 Merger anticipated to close on March 1, 2025 Projected Balance Sheet Highlights at Close ~$20 Billion Total Assets ~$17 Billion Total Deposits ~$14 Billion Total Loans ~$14 Billion Wealth Assets Under Care ~11.0% CET1 Ratio1 ~14.1% Total Capital Ratio1 No location overlap; zero branch closures or consolidations contemplated

10 104Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ Integration planning focused on customer retention and best-in-class products ▪ Critical technology and operating systems decisions have been made ▪ Developing a pipeline of referrals from CrossFirst to Busey Wealth Management and FirsTech ▪ Combined pro forma management team completed site visits and continue frequent engagements with regional leadership in all Busey & CrossFirst regions Merger Update ▪ Fixed exchange ratio of 0.6675x and pro forma ownership of 63.5% Busey and 36.5% CrossFirst aligned with contribution analysis of the respective companies ▪ Expected minimal dilution to TBV of -0.6% with an earnback period of ~6 months ▪ Estimated EPS accretion of 20%+ in 2026 (ex-one time merger charges) and an estimated internal rate of return of 19%+ ▪ Strong improvements in ROAA, ROATCE, Net Interest Margin, and Efficiency Ratio ▪ Pro Forma Capital ratios at closing expected to be significantly above “well-capitalized” thresholds: 9.6% leverage, 11.0% CET1, 14.1% Total Risk-Based Capital Attractive Deal Metrics 1Strategic Highlights ▪ Enhances Busey’s growth profile with expansion into attractive new markets of Kansas City, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Wichita ▪ Provides economies of scale to drive operating efficiency ▪ Leverages excess capital to generate significantly enhanced profitability and return to shareholders ▪ CrossFirst’s client base is particularly well-suited for Busey’s wealth management and payment technology solutions offerings ▪ Bolsters executive leadership depth and succession Next StepsActions Taken 8/27/24 Transaction Announced 9/23/24 Filed applications with regulators 3/1/25 Anticipated legal and financial close of the holding company merger Late June 2025 Anticipated bank merger & core system conversion CrossFirst Bankshares Partnership 1 Metrics as announced 8/27/24 Note: Illustrative timeline only. Subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, and customary closing conditions 10/18/24 Filed S-4 January 2025 Regulatory Approvals Received 12/20/24 Shareholder Approvals Received

11 114Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ Integrating CrossFirst’s efficient operating model, branch-lite footprint, and commercial-focused customer base has the potential to be less arduous than challenging integrations successfully managed in the past that included more retail (customers & locations) and wealth operations ▪ Combined pro forma management team leverages strengths of both Busey and CrossFirst to provide continuity of leadership during and beyond integration ▪ Busey successfully integrated seven whole bank mergers aggregating $7B+ in total assets and one wealth management firm since 2015; most recent integration in 2Q24 Track Record of Successful Integrations ▪ An integral component of the regional operating model is bringing together associates from many different organizational backgrounds and with different expertise (Lending, Wealth, Payment Technology) to deliver comprehensive client solutions through an integrated sales culture

12 124Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $1,845 $1,671 $1,894 $1,900 $1,916 $862 $784 $869 $863 $896 $647 $544 $469 $455 $438 $336 $343 $556 $582 $582 42% 40% 43% 43% 43% 62% 59% 52% 49% 50% 44% 45% 43% 43% 43% C&I Draws CRE & Construction Draws Retail Draws C&I Utilization CRE & Construction Utilization Retail Utilization 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 Commercial & Industrial 25% Owner Occupied CRE 12% Non-Owner Occupied CRE 30% C&D 5% 1-4 Family Residential 19% HELOC 3% Other 6% 1 Capital is Bank Tier 1 Capital (preliminary estimate) + Allowance for credit losses | 2 Based on loan origination 3 Excludes credit card & overdraft protection & includes tranche loan commitments/associated sub notes Central 41% Gateway 21% Northern 32% Florida 6% $7,651 $7,588 $7,999 $7,809 $7,697 $1,836 $1,828 $1,943 $1,877 $1,904 $3,337 $3,332 $3,445 $3,356 $3,270 $462 $446 $411 $398 $378 $2,016 $1,982 $2,200 $2,178 $2,145 C&I CRE Construction Retail Real Estate & Other 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $ in millions$ in millionsLTM Core Growth 3 LTM Commercial Growth 3 +0.6% -1.5% Total Loan Portfolio: $7.7 Billion MRQ Yield on Loans 5.47% -16 bps vs. 3Q24, +25 bps vs. 4Q23 4Q24 Net New Funding Yield 7.12% Classified Loans / Capital 1 5.6% New Originations in 2024 ▪ Approx. 80% of new commercial production was growth within existing bank relationships ▪ New CRE-I originations had a weighted- average LTV of 57% High Quality Loan Portfolio Funded Draws & Line Utilization Rate 3Loans Trend Loan Portfolio Regional Segmentation 2Loan Portfolio Composition | 4Q24 LTM Growth +0.6% Loan growth has softened in the current environment and new originations & renewals continue to be evaluated within a tight credit box

13 134Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE 1 Investor owned CRE includes C&D, Multifamily and non-owner occupied CRE | 2 Debt Service Coverage Ratio | 3 Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio $ in thousands Property Type 12/31/24 Balances % of Total Loans 12/31/24 Classified Balances Apartments $648,158 8.4 % $0 Retail 478,926 6.2 % 6,266 Industrial/Warehouse 328,324 4.3 % 0 Traditional Office 270,316 3.5 % 17,760 Student Housing 242,179 3.1 % 3,658 Hotel 162,148 2.1 % 0 Medical Office 159,870 2.1 % 0 Senior Housing 145,526 1.9 % 0 LAD 120,093 1.6 % 0 Specialty 79,618 1.0 % 13 1-4 Family 25,829 0.3 % 0 Restaurant 25,741 0.3 % 0 Nursing Homes 22,803 0.3 % 0 Health Care 20,000 0.3 % 0 Other 499 0.0 % 0 Grand Total $2,730,030 35.4 % $27,697 Investor Owned CRE Portfolio 1 (CRE-I) ▪ Only 1.0% of total CRE-I loans are classified ▪ Low levels of concentrated exposure - continue to actively monitor CRE-I concentrations vs. internally-defined appetite thresholds ▪ 100/300 Test: 25% C&D | 184% CRE-I ▪ Apartments & Student Housing represents 33% of CRE-I ▪ 56% WAvg Loan-to-Value (LTV) and WAvg loan seasoning since origination is 4.5 years ▪ Latest stress testing results demonstrated strong WAvg DSCRs2 in severe stress scenarios for Apartments, Student Housing, Retail, Industrial/Warehouse, Traditional Office, Medical Office, Hotel, and Senior Housing, representing approximately 89% of total CRE-I balances at 12/31/24 $ in thousands Property Type 12/31/24 Balances % of Total Loans 12/31/24 Classified Balances Industrial/Warehouse $366,763 4.8 % $6,766 Specialty 222,236 2.9 % 309 Traditional Office 103,899 1.3 % 495 Retail 86,897 1.1 % 1,477 Medical Office 78,784 1.0 % 0 Restaurant 50,908 0.7 % 38 Nursing Homes 1,356 0.0 % 0 Hotel 590 0.0 % 0 Health Care 519 0.0 % 0 Grand Total $911,952 11.8 % $9,085 Owner Occupied CRE Portfolio (OOCRE) ▪ Only 1.0% of total OOCRE loans are classified ▪ Owner occupied loans are not considered regulatory CRE ▪ OOCRE properties are underwritten to operating cash flow and guidance requires a 1.20x FCCR3 ▪ OOCRE have lower risk profiles as they are underwritten to the primary occupying business and are not as exposed to lease turnover risks ▪ Industrial/Warehouse properties are the largest OOCRE segment, comprising 40% of the OOCRE portfolio and 4.8% of total loans Owner Occupied CRE Loans by Property Type High Quality Loan Portfolio: CRE Investor Owned CRE Loans by Property Type 1

14 144Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Weighted Average DSCR: Weighted Average Debt Yield: WAvg 1-Year Lease Rollover: WAvg 2-Year Lease Rollover: Top Ten Largest Office Loans 1.48 11.9% 2.1% 4.9% Downtown St. Louis 1 Property with $1.7 million in balances Limited Metro Central Business District Exposure Downtown Chicago No outstanding Office CRE-I in Downtown Chicago Downtown Indy 1 Property with $0.3 million in balances All data as of 12/31/24 $ in thousands Metric Traditional Office Medical Office Top Ten Largest Office Loans CBD Office Exposure Total Balances $270,316 $159,870 $145,702 $2,045 % of Total CRE-I 9.9 % 5.9 % 5.3 % 0.1 % % of Total Office CRE-I 62.8 % 37.2 % 33.9 % 0.5 % # of Loans 181 56 10 2 Average Loan Size $1,493 $2,855 $14,570 $1,023 Total Classified Balances $17,760 $0 $15,000 $0 Weighted Avg Current LTV 55 % 60 % 62% 65% Office Investor Owned CRE Portfolio

15 154Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ 24.6% of total loan portfolio ▪ 64% of C&I borrowers have been Busey customers for 5+ years ▪ C&I loans are underwritten to a 1.20x FCCR requirement and RLOCs greater than $1 million require a monthly borrowing base ▪ C&I lines of credits have an overall utilization of 43%, demonstrating substantial borrowing capacity and appropriate revolving of most lines ▪ Diversified portfolio results in low levels of concentrated exposure ▪ Top concentration in one industry - Finance & Insurance - is 17% of C&I loans, or 4% of total loans; the majority of the Finance & Insurance portfolio is secured by marketable securities ▪ 2.2% of C&I loans are classified, compared to 2.4% in 3Q24 and 1.7% in 4Q23 1 Minor difference in C&I balances from chart and those reported elsewhere as consolidated C&I loan balances is attributable to purchase accounting, deferred fees & costs, and overdrafts High Quality Loan Portfolio: C&I C&I Loans by Sector $ in thousands NAICS Sector 12/31/24 Balances % of Total Loans 12/31/24 Classified Balances Finance and Insurance $323,924 4.2 % $0 Manufacturing 253,654 3.3 % 20,800 Real Estate Rental & Leasing 206,118 2.7 % 2,340 Wholesale Trade 173,489 2.3 % 6,512 Transportation 137,719 1.8 % 1,528 Educational Services 134,435 1.7 % 71 Construction 130,953 1.7 % 451 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Hunting 118,507 1.5 % 914 Food Services and Drinking Places 92,445 1.2 % 0 Other Services (except Public Admin.) 69,898 0.9 % 188 Retail Trade 60,503 0.8 % 184 Health Care and Social Assistance 59,122 0.8 % 5,412 Public Administration 50,293 0.7 % 0 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 37,801 0.5 % 0 Professional, Scientific, Technical Svcs. 31,145 0.4 % 1,305 Administrative and Support Services 11,318 0.1 % 272 Mining, Quarrying, Oil, Gas Extraction 3,097 0.0 % 0 Information 2,956 0.0 % 1,625 Accommodation 2,500 0.0 % 0 Waste Management Services 2,276 0.0 % 0 Utilities 798 0.0 % 0 Other 380 0.0 % 0 Warehousing and Storage 25 0.0 % 0 Grand Total1 $1,903,356 24.6 % $41,602

16 164Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $7,007 $6,970 $7,446 $7,759 $7,805 0.12% 0.03% 0.01% 0.03% 0.23% Avg Loans NCOs/Avg Loans 2020 YE 2021 YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE $1,155 $1,329 $1,398 $1,455 $1,522 8.5% 6.9% 7.7% 5.0% 5.6% Bank Tier 1 Capital + ALLL Classified/Capital 2020 YE 2021 YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE ▪ Conservative underwriting leads to pristine credit quality ▪ Strong portfolio management that identifies early warning indicators and proactively engages the special assets group early in the credit review process (special assets group has remained intact since the 2008-2009 recession) ▪ Classified assets declined from $89.0 million (5.9% of capital at 9/30/24) to $85.3 million (5.6% of capital at 12/31/24) ▪ 4Q24 net charge-offs totaled $2.9 million, bringing FY 2024 NCOs to $18.2 million, or 0.23% of average loans1 ▪ 4Q24 charge-off related to one traditional office CRE loan located in suburban Chicago ▪ Loan was classified in 4Q23 and moved to nonperforming during 4Q24 in conjunction with the partial charge-off (remaining balance of $15.0 million) 1 Average loans was calculated as the average of the ending portfolio loan balances over the most recent four quarters 2 Capital calculated as Busey Bank Tier 1 Capital (preliminary estimate) + Allowance for credit losses Pristine Credit Quality NPAs/ Assets Classifieds / Capital 2 NCOs / Average Loans $10,544 $12,860 $12,337 $12,283 $12,047 0.27% 0.17% 0.13% 0.06% 0.19% Assets % NPAs/Assets 2020 YE 2021 YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE $ in millions $ in millions $ in millions NPAs $28.9 $21.3 $16.6 $7.9 $23.3 NCOs $8.3 $2.2 $0.9 $2.3 $18.2Classified Assets $97.8 $91.8 $107.1 $72.3 $85.3

17 174Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $6,368 $7,114 $7,725 $7,651 $7,697 1.59% 1.24% 1.19% 1.20% 1.08% Ex-PPP Loans Allowance/Ex-PPP Loans (%) 2020 YE 2021 YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE $24,301 $16,852 $15,740 $7,816 $23,237 4.16 5.22 5.82 11.74 3.59 NPLs Allowance/NPLs (x) 2020 YE 2021 YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE $28,872 $21,268 $16,590 $7,941 $23,300 3.50 4.13 5.52 11.55 3.58 NPAs Allowance/NPAs (x) 2020 YE 2021 YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE ▪ Reserve to loans of 1.08% (compared to 1.09% at 9/30/24) ▪ Non-performing loan balances increased by $15.0 million QoQ ▪ Quarterly increase attributable to one traditional office CRE loan located in suburban Chicago; this loan was classified in 4Q23 and moved to nonperforming in conjunction with partial charge-off during 4Q24 ▪ Non-performing loans were $23.2 million at 12/31/24, equating to 0.30% of total loans ▪ Reserves now equate to 3.59x of NPLs and 3.58x of NPAs ▪ OREO balances total $0.1 million Credit Profile Bolstered by Strong Reserves Allowance / Loans (ex-PPP) Allowance / NPLs Multiple Allowance / NPAs Multiple $ in millions $ in thousands$ in thousands

18 184Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE 1 Other deposits include brokered MMA, brokered CDs, ICS Demand & Savings, CDAR CDs | 2 Non-GAAP calculation, see Appendix 4Q24 Deposit Flows ▪ Significant inflow from retail depositors, up $185 million QoQ and up $60 million YoY ▪ Public deposits down $117 million QoQ consistent with typical seasonality. Anticipate continued public deposit outflows in 1Q25 in advance of net inflows for 2Q and 3Q ▪ Increase in noninterest bearing demand deposits of $36 million QoQ ▪ Savings account inflows of $88 million QoQ and time deposits outflows of $29 million QoQ, a result of our focused strategy to shift term deposits into managed rate products ▪ At 12/31/24, our spot deposit cost was 1.31% for non-maturity deposits and 1.67% for total deposits as compared to 1.43% and 1.80%, respectively, at 9/30/2024 Non-Int DDA 27% Int DDA 24% Savings & MMDA 34% CD < 250k 12% CD > 250k 3% Core Deposits 97% MRQ Avg Cost of Total Deposits 1.75% -10 bps from 3Q24 MRQ Avg Cost of Non-Time Deposits 1.38% -12 bps from 3Q24 Avg Deposits per Branch $161 million Avg Non Maturity Acct Balance at 12/31/24 $34 thousand Total Deposits: $10.0 Billion $10,143 $10,373 $10,039 $10,068 $10,004 $10,050 76.0% 74.4% 76.2% 80.2% 78.5% 77.1% Retail Commercial Public Other ¹ Avg Deposits LDR 2023 Q3 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $9,976 $9,899 $9,627 $9,619 $9,591 $9,635 $9,812 $10,002 $9,671 $9,677 $9,650 $9,703 96.6% 96.2% 96.7% 96.4% 96.5% 96.5% Core Deposits Avg Core Deposits Core/Total Deposits 2023 Q3 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $ in millions Top Tier Core Deposit Franchise Deposit Portfolio Composition | 4Q24 Total Deposits & Loan-to-Deposit Ratio Core Deposits 2 / Total Deposits $10,332 $10,291 $9,960 $9,976 $9,943 $9,982 $ in millions

19 194Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $5,602 $3,482 $971 $236 $5,599 $3,333 $798 $230 $5,531 $3,288 $886 $271 $5,477 $3,259 $983 $223 $5,662 $3,242 $866 $213 12/31/23 3/31/24 6/30/24 9/30/24 12/31/24 Retail Commercial Public Other² 1 Estimated uninsured & uncollateralized deposits consists of the excess of accounts over $250K FDIC insurance limit, less internal accounts and fully-collateralized accounts (including preferred deposits) | 2 Other deposits include brokered MMA, brokered CDs, ICS Demand & Savings, CDAR CDs Customers with Account Balances totaling $250K+ Since 3/31/23, total deposits up -$309 million, or (3.0)% 2024 Q4 Number of customers 6,021 Median account balance $401 thousand Median customer tenure 14.5 years 2024 Q4 Estimated Uninsured & Uncollateralized Deposits1 $3.0 billion Estimated Uninsured & Uncollateralized Deposits1 / Total Deposits 30% As of 12/31/24 Retail Commercial Number of Accounts 251,000+ 32,000+ Avg Balance per Account $22 thousand $98 thousand Avg Customer Tenure 16.9 years 12.8 years Granular, Stable Deposit Base Long-tenured Deposit Relationships that are very granular Deposit Flows by Type

20 204Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE 1 Quarterly effective fed funds per FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Average during quarter, not seasonally adjusted | 2 Deposit betas are calculated based on an average fed funds target rate of 5.50% (4Q23, 1Q24, 2Q24), 5.43% for 3Q24, and 4.82% for 4Q24 BUSE Cost of Deposits Effective Fed Funds Rate (Qtr Avg) 1Q 15 2Q 15 3Q 15 4Q 15 1Q 16 2Q 16 3Q 16 4Q 16 1Q 17 2Q 17 3Q 17 4Q 17 1Q 18 2Q 18 3Q 18 4Q 18 1Q 19 2Q 19 3Q 19 4Q 19 1Q 20 2Q 20 3Q 20 4Q 20 1Q 21 2Q 21 3Q 21 4Q 21 1Q 22 2Q 22 3Q 22 4Q 22 1Q 23 2Q 23 3Q 23 4Q 23 1Q 24 2Q 24 3Q 24 4Q 24 0.0% 0.5% 1.0% 1.5% 2.0% 2.5% 3.0% 3.5% 4.0% 4.5% 5.0% 5.5% 6.0% C os t of D ep os it s (b p s) 189 123 252 202 138 Retail Commercial Public All IB Non-Maturity All Non-Time Deposits 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 +41% +26% +46% +21% +34% +16% IB Non-Maturity All IB Deposits Total Deposits 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 Retail +35% +7% Commercial +25% +19% Public +52% +34% IB Non-Maturity +41% +26% All IB Deposits +46% +21% Total Deposits +34% +16% Historical Cost of Deposits, 2015 - 4Q24 1 Cumulative Deposits Betas Over Last Two Cycles2 Quarterly Average Cost of Deposits Deposit Cost Trends IB Non- Maturity 1.96% 1.95% 2.04% 2.20% 2.02% Non-Time Deposits 1.31% 1.32% 1.36% 1.50% 1.38% Total Deposits 1.74% 1.76% 1.75% 1.85% 1.75% Cost of deposits has run at ~30% of Fed Funds over the last three cycles (2 tightening, 1 easing) fully lagged Easing Cycle 3Q24 to Present Tightening Cycle 1Q22 to 3Q24 Easing cycle betas to accelerate in 1Q25 as a result of lagged deposit repricing

21 214Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $77.8 $76.3 $82.9 $83.0 $82.0 $77.4 $76.1 $82.1 $81.7 $81.2 $0.4 $0.2 $0.8 $1.3 $0.8 Net Interest Income ¹ Accretion 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 4.58% 4.62% 4.83% 4.90% 4.75% 1.89% 1.91% 1.88% 1.98% 1.89% 2.75% 2.79% 3.03% 3.02% 2.95% 0.01% 0.01% 0.03% 0.05% 0.03% Earning Assets Cost of Funds NIM Accretion 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 +3.02% -0.20% -0.01% +0.09% +0.01% +0.06% -0.02% +2.95% 3Q24 NIM Loan Rate/ Volume Borrowing Expense Non-Maturity Deposit Funding Costs Time Deposit Funding Costs Cash & Securities Impact Purchase Accounting Contribution 4Q24 NIM 1 Tax-equivalent adjusted amounts; Non-GAAP, see Appendix $ in millions Impact of lower loan production and declining SOFR Growth in NM deposits accompanied by accelerating deposit beta in the current easing cycle Short-duration time deposit offerings providing sufficient funding flows Net Interest Margin Bridge - Factors contributing to 7 bp NIM contraction during quarter Net Interest Margin Trend 1Net Interest Income Trend 1 Net Interest Margin Elevated cash position largely due to liquidity flows from loan redemptions Purchase accounting accretion from M&M transaction lower than prior quarter Increased rate on borrowings

22 224Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ Noninterest income represented 30% of revenue in 4Q24 (excluding net securities losses) ▪ Wealth management fees, wealth management referral income included in other noninterest income, and payment technology solutions income represented 62% of total noninterest income (ex net securities losses) in 4Q24 and 60% for FY 2024 ▪ Primary contributors to other noninterest income during the quarter were increased valuations of venture capital investments and gains on SBA loan sales 1 Includes net securities gains/losses and gain on sale of MSRs completed during 1Q24 2 Approximately $0.1 million and $0.2 million of Other Noninterest Income was attributable to the wealth segment in 4Q23 and 4Q24, respectively $108.6 $110.8 $116.2 $118.5 $116.8 $31.3 $34.9 $33.7 $35.8 $35.2 $77.3 $75.9 $82.5 $82.6 $81.6 28.8% 31.5% 29.0% 30.3% 30.2% Noninterest Income Net Interest Income Nonint. Inc. / Total Revenue 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $ in millions Noninterest Income Detail 2023 Q4 2024 Q4 YoY Change Wealth Management Fees2 $13,715 $16,786 +22 % Fees for Customer Services 7,484 7,911 +6 % Payment Technology Solutions 5,420 5,094 -6 % Mortgage Revenue 218 496 +128 % Income on Bank Owned Life Insurance 1,019 1,080 +6 % Other Noninterest Income2 2,687 4,050 +51 % Noninterest Income (ex-securities gains/losses) $30,543 $35,417 +16 % Net Securities Gains (Losses) 761 (196) Total Noninterest Income $31,304 $35,221 +13 % $ in thousands Wealth Mgmt Fees 47% Payment Tech 14% Customer Service Fees 22% Mortgage Rev. 1%BOLI 3% Other Nonint. Inc. 11% Noninterest Income (ex non-recurring items) $35.4 Million Noninterest Income / Total Revenue 1 Sources of Noninterest Income Diversified and Significant Sources of Fee Income

23 234Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $13.8 $15.7 $16.1 $16.2 $17.0 $5.6 $6.6 $7.3 $7.4 $7.7 40.3% 41.9% 45.4% 45.7% 45.4% Revenue Pre-Tax Net Income Pre-Tax Profit Margin 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $12,137 $12,763 $13,020 $13,690 $13,834 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 ▪ Assets Under Care (AUC) of $13.8 billion, a QoQ increase of $0.1 billion and a YoY increase of $1.7 billion, or +14% ▪ 4Q24 Wealth segment revenue of $17.0 million, a YoY increase of +23%. 4Q24 represented another record for quarterly revenue at the company and completes a record year of $65.0 million in segment revenue for 2024, the highest in company history ▪ Pre-tax net income of $7.7 million, a YoY increase of +38%, and a record $29.0 million for full year 2024 ▪ Pre-tax profit margin of 45.4% in 4Q24 and 44.6% over the last twelve months ▪ Our fully internalized investment team continues to produce excellent returns, focused on long-term outperformance of benchmarks ▪ The team’s blended portfolio has outperformed the blended benchmark2 over the last 3 years and over the last 5 years 1 Wealth Management segment | 2 Blended benchmark consists of 60% MSCI All-Country World Index / 40% Bloomberg Intermediate Govt/Credit Index $ in millions $ in millions Wealth Management Assets Under Care Wealth - Revenue and Pre-tax Income 1 $13.8 $15.7 $16.1 $16.2 $17.0 Trust Brokerage Tax Planning Estate Settlement Ag Services Other 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 Wealth Revenue Composition 1 $ in millions

24 244Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ FY 2024 segment revenue of $23.1 million, an increase of 1% over the prior twelve-month period ▪ 4Q24 segment revenue of $5.4 million ▪ Key competencies of integrated receivables, merchant services, and online payments will continue to be key drivers of growth ▪ Winning new opportunities within client’s payments ecosystems due to higher service levels and ability to onboard new clients much quicker than competitors Revenue Growth 1 $23.1 million YE 2024 +1.3%$22.8 million YE 2023 Transactions processed in 2024 44 million $12 billion Payments processed in 2024 Average Revenue Per Processing Day Trend $78.5K $78.2K $87.5K $84.0K $87.2K $88.3K $91.5K $89.1K $89.9K $93.4K $96.3K $98.1K $86.7K 2021 Q3 2021 Q4 2022 Q1 2022 Q2 2022 Q3 2022 Q4 2023 Q1 2023 Q2 2023 Q3 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 +3% 3-Year CAGR FirsTech 1 Revenue equates to all revenue sources tied to FirsTech and excludes intracompany eliminations ▪ 47% revenue growth from FY 2023 to FY 2024 ▪ Two largest deals in FirsTech history signed in 2024 ▪ During 3Q24, opened processing site in Glenview, IL to support scale in Chicagoland; multiple new client opportunities generated because of this new capture location ▪ 34% revenue growth from FY 2023 to FY 2024 ▪ Serving over 1,000 merchant accounts ▪ High referral rate from Busey Bank and successful partnerships closed with existing commercial customers ▪ Recent launch of innovative and configurable consumer payment platform has driven refreshed client interest ▪ Attracted senior level sales team during 2024 that has been producing recent contract signing success along with an increasing pipeline for 2025 ▪ Seeing early success from new and existing customers, indicated by strong Net Promoter Score (NPS) results Integrated Receivables Merchant Processing Online Payments $23.1 million 2024 Revenue1 Integrated Receivables 17% Merchant Processing 20% Online Payments 29%Other Electronic Payments 34% FY 2024 FirsTech Revenue Mix Integrated Receivables

25 254Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $3,217 $3,018 $2,937 $2,859 $2,882 $2,344 $2,156 $2,086 $2,020 $2,056 $873 $862 $851 $839 $827 2.71% 2.75% 2.73% 2.70% 2.66% Amortized Cost AFS Amortized Cost HTM Tax Equivalent Yield 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 ▪ Carrying value of investment portfolio is 24% of total assets ▪ BUSE carried $827 million in held-to-maturity (HTM) securities as of 12/31/24 (HTM AOCI of -$23 million at 12/31/24) ▪ The duration of the securities portfolio including HTM is 4.3 years and our fair value duration, which excludes the HTM portfolio, is 3.9 years ▪ After-tax net AFS unrealized loss position of $166 million and accumulated loss position of $18 million on cash flow hedges (captured in total AOCI) ▪ Projected roll off cash flow (based on static rates) of $354 million at ~1.87% yield for 2025 and $288 million at ~2.03% yield for 2026 ▪ Over the last four quarters, the size of the investment portfolio has decreased by $335 million due to strategic restructuring actions and principal roll off ▪ Deployed excess cash in late 4Q24 to purchase approximately $150 million of securities (MBS and CMOs) at WAvg of 5.4%, which was approximately 100 bps above our cost of cash Balanced, Low-Risk, Short Duration Investment Portfolio Securities Portfolio - Amortized Cost vs. TE Yield Investment Portfolio Composition | 4Q24 ■All Mortgage-Backed Securities & Collateralized Mortgage Obligations are Agency ■93% of Municipal holdings rated AA or better and 7% rated A ■99% of Corporate holdings are investment grade ■Collateralized Loan Obligation portfolio consists of 86% rated AAA and 14% rated AA Municipals 5% CMOs 33% Residential MBS 26% Commercial MBS 18% CLOs 12% Corporate 6% Total Securities (Amortized Cost): $2.9 Billion $ in millions AFS % of Amortized Cost 71% HTM % of Amortized Cost 29%

26 264Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ Balance sheet well-positioned for rate neutrality ▪ A +100 bps rate shock for Year 1 is +2.0% vs. +2.1% in 3Q24 ▪ A -100 bps rate shock for Year 1 is -1.8% vs. -2.0% in 3Q24 ▪ Continue to evaluate off-balance sheet hedging strategies as well as embedding rate protection in our asset originations to provide stabilization to net interest income in lower rate environments ▪ Vigilant focus on pricing discipline and term structure for both loans and deposits ▪ 7% of total deposits are indexed/floating rate ▪ 58% of non-maturity deposits at rack rate1 with WAvg rate of 1 bp ▪ Short duration CD portfolio represents 15% of total deposits; book has a WAvg remaining life of 4.9 months and WAvg rate of 3.7% ▪ 46% of loan portfolio reprices in less than one year; including $542 million of fixed rate balances repricing from a WAvg rate of 4.7% Balance sheet is projected over one- & two-year time horizons and net interest income is calculated under current market rates assuming permanent instantaneous shifts Actively Managing Well-Positioned Balance Sheet Annual % Change in Net Interest Income under Shock Scenarios Repricing / Maturity Structures of Portfolio Loans Deposit Betas in the most recent tightening & easing cycles Rate Shock Year 1 Year 2 +200 bps +4.0 % +5.2 % +100 bps +2.0 % +2.6 % -100 bps -1.8 % -3.3 % -200 bps -3.4 % -6.7 % Within 1 Year 46% 1-2 Years 9% 2-3 Years 9% 3-5 Years 14% 5+ Years 22% 21% 36% 41% 26%26% 29% 34% 16% IB Non-Maturity Beta Total Deposit Beta 3Q15 - 2Q19 (+225 bps move in FF) 3Q19 - 4Q21 (-225 bps move in FF) 1Q22 - 3Q24 (+525 bps move in FF) 3Q24 - Present (-100 bps move in FF) ALCO Model Forecast - Peak NM Deposits Beta, 46% ALCO Model Forecast - Peak Total Deposits Beta, 35% Based on Static Balance Sheet In the current easing cycle, we estimate reaching a 30%-35% IB NM beta and a 25% total deposit beta by mid-year, and stabilizing at a ~30% longer run total deposit beta for the cycle Easing Cycle Beta 1 Excludes special priced promotional products

27 274Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Note: Certain totals above may not tie exactly due to rounding. Detail amounts can be found in Non-GAAP table within Appendix 1 Non-GAAP, see Appendix ▪ Continue to be mindful and diligent on expenses in the current operating environment ▪ Adjusted core expenses1 of $72.6 million in 4Q24 ▪ Non-operating other expenses during 4Q24 were comprised of $3.6 million related to acquisition (announced CrossFirst Bankshares transaction on 8/27/24 and M&M Bank was merged into Busey Bank on 6/21/24) and restructuring related expenses ▪ Quarterly pre-tax expense synergies from the M&M acquisition are anticipated to be $1.6 to $1.7 million per quarter when fully realized. Full quarterly run-rate savings are projected to be achieved by 1Q25. During 4Q24, we had achieved approximately 86% of the full quarterly savings ▪ Adopted accounting standard update 2023-02 on 1/1/24 and began recording amortization of New Markets Tax Credits as income tax expense instead of other operating expense, which resulted in a decrease to other operating expenses of $2.3 million compared to 4Q23 ▪ $7.3 million of average earning assets per employee for 4Q24 Full-Time Equivalents (FTE) $75.0 $70.8 $75.5 $76.0 $78.1 63.0% 61.7% 60.6% 60.5% 61.4% 60.1% 62.3% 60.9% 60.2% 61.8% Expenses ex-Acq. Acq./Restructuring Exp. Adj. Efficiency Ratio¹ Adj. Core Efficiency Ratio¹ 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $ in millions 1,346 1,463 1,497 1,479 1,509 2020 YE 2021 YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE Noninterest Exp. $75.0 $70.8 $75.5 $75.9 $78.2 Intangible Amort. $2.5 $2.4 $2.6 $2.5 $2.5 Acq./Restructuring Exp. $4.2 $0.4 $2.2 $1.9 $3.6 Adj. Exp. 1 $68.3 $68.0 $70.7 $71.4 $72.1 Unfunded Provision $0.8 -$0.7 -$0.4 $0.4 -$0.5 NMTC Amort. $2.3 $0.0 $0.0 $0.0 $0.0 Adj. Core Exp. 1 $65.2 $68.6 $71.1 $71.0 $72.6 Noninterest Expense Focused Control on Expenses ▪ YoY increase in FTE count largely attributable to acquisition and integration of M&M Bank

28 284Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Tangible Common Equity 1 & CET1 Ratios 2 1 Non-GAAP calculation, see Appendix | 2 4Q24 capital ratios are preliminary estimates $925 $938 $971 $1,042 $1,024 7.8% 8.1% 8.4% 9.0% 8.8% 13.1% 13.4% 13.2% 13.8% 14.1% TCE TCE Ratio CET1 Ratio 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $1,540 $1,556 $1,589 $1,610 $1,627 $883 $868 $908 $885 $877 $657 $689 $681 $725 $750 17.4% 17.9% 17.5% 18.2% 18.5% 10.0% Well Cap Min Excess over Min Total Capital Ratio Min Ratio 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $1,230 $1,241 $1,275 $1,297 $1,314 10.1% 10.5% 10.7% 11.0% 11.1% 4.0% Tier 1 Capital Leverage Ratio Min Ratio 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $ in millions Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio Tier 1 Capital Ratio Total Capital Ratio Capital Ratio 14.1 % 15.0 % 18.5 % Minimum Well Capitalized Ratio 6.5 % 8.0 % 10.0 % Amount of Capital $1,237 $1,314 $1,626 Well Capitalized Minimum $570 $702 $877 Excess over Well Capitalized Minimum $667 $612 $749 $ in millions $ in millions $ in millions Robust Capital Foundation Total Capital Ratio 2 Leverage Ratio 2 Consolidated Capital as of 12/31/24 2

29 294Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ Net interest income was $81.6 million in 4Q24 vs. $82.6 million in 3Q24 and $77.3 million in 4Q23 ▪ Net interest margin1 was 2.95% in 4Q24, a decrease of 7 bp vs. 3.02% in 3Q24 ▪ The primary factors contributing to the quarter’s NIM change were loan book rate & volume pressures (20 bps decrease) partially offset by reduced non-maturity deposit costs (9 bps increase) and additional securities & cash contributions (6 bps increase) Net Interest Income Noninterest Income ▪ Adjusted noninterest income1 of $35.4 million in 4Q24, representing 30.3% of operating revenue ▪ Consolidated wealth management fees of $16.8 million in 4Q24, a increase from $15.4 million in 3Q24 and +22% YoY ▪ Payment tech solutions revenue of $5.1 million in 4Q24, a decrease from $5.3 million in 3Q24 and -6% YoY ▪ Fees for customer services of $7.9 million in 4Q24, a decrease from $8.2 million in 3Q24 but +6% YoY ▪ Adjusted noninterest expense1 (ex-amortization of intangibles, one-time acquisition & restructuring related items) of $72.1 million in 4Q24, resulting in a 61.4% adjusted efficiency ratio1 ▪ Adjusted core expense1 of $72.6 million (ex-amortization of intangible assets, one-time items, and unfunded commitment provision) in 4Q24, equating to 61.8% adjusted core efficiency ratio1 Noninterest Expense Provision ▪ $1.3 million loan loss provision expense ▪ Net charge offs of $2.9 million in 4Q24 related to one office CRE credit ▪ $(0.5) million provision release for unfunded commitments (captured in other noninterest expense) ▪ Adjusted net income of $30.7 million or $0.53 per diluted share1 ▪ Adjusted pre-provision net revenue of $42.0 million (1.38% PPNR ROAA) in 4Q24 1 ▪ 1.01% Adjusted ROAA and 11.87% Adjusted ROATCE in 4Q24 1 Earnings 1 Non-GAAP, see Appendix Taxes ▪ 4Q24 effective tax rate of 24.8% (lower than the combined federal & state statutory rate of approximately 28.0%) 4Q24 Earnings Review

30 304Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $29.1 $26.5 $29.0 $33.5 $30.7 $0.52 $0.47 $0.50 $0.58 $0.53 Adj. Net Income Adj. EPS 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 $40.2 $38.6 $42.6 $44.1 $42.0 1.30% 1.29% 1.42% 1.46% 1.38% Adj. PPNR Adj. PPNR / Avg Assets 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 13.6% 11.6% 12.2% 13.4% 11.9% 0.94% 0.89% 0.97% 1.11% 1.01% Adj. ROATCE Adj. ROAA 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 1 Non-GAAP calculation, see Appendix | 2 Per FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Earnings Performance Adjusted Net Income & Earnings Per Share 1 Adjusted ROAA & Adjusted ROATCE 1 Adjusted Pre-Provision Net Revenue / Avg. Assets 1 Historical Key Rates 2 $ in millions $ in millions 5.38% 5.34% 5.33% 5.16% 4.53% 4.23% 4.59% 4.71% 3.66% 4.25% 3.84% 4.21% 4.33% 3.58% 4.38% 3.88% 4.20% 4.36% 3.81% 4.58% SOFR 2-yr UST 5-yr UST 10-Yr UST 12/31/23 3/31/24 6/30/24 9/30/24 12/31/24

Appendix

33 324Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Has served as Chairman & CEO of First Busey since 2007 and became Chairman of the Board effective July 2020. Also serves as Chairman & CEO of Busey Bank, along with a director of FirsTech. Offers 40 years of diverse financial services experience and extensive board involvement with a conservative operating philosophy and management style that focuses on Busey’s associates, customers, communities and shareholders. He also serves on the board of directors for Desert Mountain Club and the Champaign Illinois Kennel Club. Joined Busey in January 2020 with nearly 25 years of financial leadership experience. Previously, Ms. Bowe served as Senior Director of Operational Risk Program Management at KeyBank. Ms. Bowe offers experience in M&A due diligence, effective navigation of key risk areas and dedication to continuous improvement towards enterprise-wide risk management strategies. She also serves on the board of directors for ProSight Financial Association, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center and the iPower Booster Club. Monica L. Bowe EVP & Chief Risk Officer Joined Busey in December 2011 and has over 40 years of legal experience. Prior to joining Busey, he was a partner in the law firm of Meyer Capel, where he specialized in serving the financial services industry. He also serves on the board of trustees for Holy Cross Church and the board of directors for St. Thomas More High School in Champaign, IL. John J. Powers EVP & General Counsel Joined Busey in 2008 and now leads many areas, including: human resources, marketing, corporate communications and the overall Busey experience, consumer & digital banking, executive administration, as well as all technology and business services & systems. Additionally, she serves as Chairperson and oversees FirsTech. Prior to Busey, Mrs. Randolph worked for 10+ years with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. She also serves on the board of directors for the Illinois Bankers Association and Illinois Bankers Business Services. Amy L. Randolph EVP & COO Joined Busey in 1984, serving in the role of Vice Chairman of Credit, Chief Banking Officer or Chief Credit Officer since 2010 and chairing all Credit Committees. Mr. Plecki previously served as COO, President & CEO of Busey Wealth Management, and EVP of the Florida and Champaign markets. Prior to the 2007 merger with First Busey, he served in various management roles at Main Street Trust. He also serves on the board of directors for the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club, OSF Community Council and St. Thomas More High School in Champaign, IL. Joined Busey in 2011 and has over 15 years of experience in the banking industry. Before being named President of Credit and Bank Administration in 2022, he served as Co- Chief Banking Officer for two years. Mr. Jorstad has also held the role of Regional President for Commercial Banking – overseeing business banking efforts, including Agricultural, Commercial, Construction and Real Estate financing. He also serves on the board of directors for Intersect Illinois and the St. Matthew Education Commission in Champaign, IL. Chip Jorstad EVP & President of Credit and Bank Admin. Joined Busey in 2021, leading the team that provides asset management, investment and fiduciary services to individuals, businesses and foundations. Mr. Burgess formerly served as President of Commerce Brokerage Services, Inc., and was Director of Business Development for the east region of Commerce Trust Company. He also serves on the board of directors for Social Venture Partners and Community School in St. Louis, MO. Jeff D. Burgess EVP & President of Busey Wealth Management Joined Busey in August 2019, bringing nearly 20 years of investment banking and financial services experience. Also serves as a board member of FirsTech. Previously served as Managing Director and Co-Head of Financial Institutions at Stephens Inc. Mr. Jones began his career in the Banking Supervision and Regulation division of the Federal Reserve. He also serves on the board of directors for Academy High in Champaign, IL, and the D Jones Family Charitable Foundation. Jeffrey D. Jones EVP & CFO Joined Busey in June 2022 to lead the Consumer, Community, Mortgage and Digital Banking teams. Mr. Sheils’ nearly 25 years of banking experience includes serving as the Head of Retail Banking at MB Financial. Prior to his shift to retail, he led teams in Commercial Banking at MB Financial and LaSalle Bank. He also serves on the board of directors for the Loyola University Chicago Alumni Association and the Union League Club of Chicago. Joseph A. Sheils EVP & President of Consumer and Digital Banking Van A. Dukeman Chairman & CEO Experienced Management Team Robert F. Plecki, Jr. EVP & Vice Chairman of Credit Joined Busey in 2014 as a Commercial Relationship Manager before taking on increasing leadership responsibilities and becoming Regional President of Busey’s Central Illinois Region in May of 2020. He then took on the Indianapolis Region in Q4 2023. He also serves on the board of trustees for Carle Health – East Region and the board of directors for the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. Joined FirsTech and Busey in 2020, leading the organization’s Products & Technology efforts. In 2023, he moved into the role of President and CEO with FirsTech and EVP of Technology at Busey. Mr. Ghauri is a proven executive leader with 20-plus years of experience building and leading high growth products and technology organizations. Tenure includes working with CareerBuilder, ADP, Skillsoft and Oracle. Humair Ghauri EVP of Technology, Busey Bank President & CEO, FirsTech Joined Busey in 2016 with the First Community Financial Bank partnership. His career in banking spans 30 years, previously working at LaSalle Bank, First Chicago Bank & Trust, and Inland Bank & Trust prior to moving to First Community. Mr. Gallagher served as Commercial Market President for Busey until moving to Regional President of the Northern Region in 2020. He took on leadership of the Gateway and Florida Regions in Q4 2023, while also assuming responsibility for Busey’s Treasury Management division. He also serves on the board of directors for American Heart Association CycleNation. Sean Gallagher EVP & Regional President for Northern Illinois, Gateway and Florida Regions Martin O’Donnell EVP & Regional President for Central Illinois and Indiana Regions

33 334Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE $13.8 Billion Assets Under Care FY 2024 Revenue1 $65.0 Million PT Margin FY 2024 44.6% Core Principles I. Client-Focused Strategy Trusted fiduciaries that identify prudent financial solutions to meet client-specific needs and objectives and help clients make better decisions about their wealth II. Team-Based Approach Collaborative team of experienced, credentialed professionals with broad resources that excels in developing unique solutions for clients III. Comprehensive Wealth Management Fully internalized investment office and an investment philosophy that uses a tailored approach to provide proactive advice, empowering clients to make appropriate financial choices to meet their goals in every aspect of their financial health INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ▪ Preserving and growing wealth with enhanced asset allocation & tax efficient strategies As of 12/31/24 Fully Integrated Wealth Platform PERSONAL SERVICES ▪ Family Office ▪ High Net Worth ▪ Mass Affluent and Emerging Wealth INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES ▪ Retirement Plans ▪ Corporations & Municipalities ▪ Foundations and Endowments ▪ Not-for-Profit Organizations Wealth Client Segments TAX PLANNING & PREPARATION ▪ Deduction maximization, capital event planning, tax-advantaged savings & investment strategies FIDUCIARY ADMINISTRATION ▪ Trust services, estate planning, and philanthropic advisory PRIVATE CLIENT ▪ Concierge banking with one point of contact that coordinates all banking needs AG SERVICES ▪ Farm management and brokerage RETIREMENT PLANNING ▪ Goal-based advisory including life insurance, long-term care, executive stock option strategies Integrated Core Capabilities to Service Personal & Institutional Clients 1 Wealth Management segment

34 344Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE FirsTech, A Uniquely Positioned Payment Technology Company Integrated Receivables Electronic Payments Merchant Services Services Services Services Sales Channels Sales Channels Sales Channels Lines of Business Lines of BusinessLines of Business ▪ Lockbox ▪ eLockbox ▪ Online (Core) ▪ Customer Service Rep., Mobile, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) ▪ Internet Agent Service, Walk-in ▪ Statement of Work (SOW), Time & Materials ▪ Point of Sale ▪ Online ▪ Enterprise Sales Team ▪ Financial Institutions (FI) Sales Team ▪ FI Reseller Sales ▪ Partnerships ▪ Enterprise Sales Team ▪ FI Sales Team ▪ FI Reseller Sales ▪ Partnerships ▪ Merchant Sales Team ▪ Agent Referrals ▪ FI Reseller Sales ▪ Partnerships ▪ Financial Institutions ▪ Municipalities, Government ▪ Utilities, Telecom, Insurance ▪ Health ▪ Financial Institutions ▪ Municipalities, Government ▪ Utilities, Telecom, Insurance ▪ Health ▪ Small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) ▪ Financial Institutions ▪ Municipalities, Government ▪ Utilities, Telecom, Insurance ▪ Health ▪ SMB Payments Segments $12 Billion Payments Processed in 2024 Transactions Processed in 2024 44 Million 2024 Revenue 1 $23.1 Million As of 12/31/24 1 Revenue equates to all revenue sources tied to FirsTech and excludes intracompany eliminations

35 354Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE FirsTech, A Uniquely Positioned Payment Technology Company Through continued growth of the Busey/FirsTech relationship and new opportunities for collaboration FirsTech is uniquely positioned to leverage our relationship to grow in both Enterprise and FI verticals. Verticals & Products

36 364Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE ▪ Through its robust Corporate Sustainability Program, First Busey recycled over 35,000 pounds of waste and conserved over 125,000 gallons of water in 2023. ▪ Participates in several initiatives, including: ▪ Energy efficiency program that reduced building electricity usage by 5% and gas usage by 8% in 2023 over 2022, avoiding over 1000 tons of carbon emissions since 2019. ▪ Installing solar panel systems at 11 Busey facilities, generating over 1.3 million kWh of energy since 2019. ▪ Providing over $7 million in green financing in 2023, including energy efficiency improvements, historic preservation and solar development. ▪ Committing to invest $2.75 million to rehabilitate a vacant 5-story nearly 100-year old building, reducing construction need of new buildings and consumption of land, energy, materials and financial resources they require. ▪ In 2023, First Busey associates generously gave nearly 16,000 hours of their time to hundreds of community organizations. ▪ Through a variety of philanthropic efforts, including many associate-driven initiatives, First Busey’s annual charitable donations total over $1.5 million. ▪ As of December 31, 2023, 40% of mid- level leadership and 44% of executive leadership are women. ▪ First Busey boasts a high level of associate engagement, scoring a 4.31 (out of 5) in 2023. ▪ In 2023, Busey Bank earned a Net Promoter Score® (NPS) of 56.5, significantly above the financial services industry benchmark of 23.5. ▪ In 2023, First Busey invested over $25 million in Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)-qualified commitments. Strong corporate governance is a top priority, supported in part by the following: ▪ The vast majority of directors are independent, with varying experiences and backgrounds. ▪ Robust internal audit procedures are utilized, reporting directly to the Audit Committee. ▪ Enterprise risk metrics are connected with conservative business strategy and risk profile. ▪ Strong data privacy and information security policies are used, including data security oversight, associate training, and proactive privacy and security efforts. ▪ Confidential and independent whistleblower hotline is utilized. ▪ Strong inside ownership with over 7% of First Busey common stock beneficially owned by directors and executive officers. Further information on all cited metrics can be found in the latest Busey Impact Report, visit busey.com/impact Building on 155+ Years of Civic Engagement, Corporate Responsibility and Positive Impacts 4Q24 Featured Impact | Busey Drives Generosity In 2024, our associates and customers generously donated over 2,000 school supplies, 1,200 non-perishable food items and 1,650 pairs of socks to our communities through the Busey Drives Generosity Campaign. For information about the current drive, visit busey.com/busey-drives-generosity. Environmental Sustainability Associates, Customers and Communities Ethical and Strong Governance Busey Impact: ESG and Corporate Responsibility

37 374Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Non-GAAP Financial Information This presentation contains certain financial information determined by methods other than U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). Management uses these non-GAAP measures, together with the related GAAP measures, in analysis of Busey’s performance and in making business decisions, as well as for comparison to Busey’s peers. Busey believes the adjusted measures are useful for investors and management to understand the effects of certain non-core and non-recurring noninterest items and provide additional perspective on Busey’s performance over time. Included in the Appendix are reconciliations to what management believes to be the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures—specifically, net interest income, total noninterest income, net security gains and losses, and total noninterest expense in the case of pre-provision net revenue, adjusted pre-provision net revenue, pre-provision net revenue to average assets, and adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average assets; net income in the case of adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets, average tangible common equity, return on average tangible common equity, adjusted return on average tangible common equity; net income and net security gains and losses in the case of further adjusted net income and further adjusted diluted earnings per share; net interest income in the case of adjusted net interest income and adjusted net interest margin; net interest income, total noninterest income, and total noninterest expense in the case of adjusted noninterest income, adjusted noninterest expense, noninterest expense excluding non-operating adjustments, adjusted core expense, efficiency ratio, adjusted efficiency ratio, and adjusted core efficiency ratio; net interest income, total noninterest income, net securities gains and losses, and net gains and losses on the sale of mortgage servicing rights in the case of operating revenue and adjusted noninterest income to operating revenue; total assets and goodwill and other intangible assets in the case of tangible assets; total stockholders’ equity in the case of tangible book value per common share; total assets and total stockholders’ equity in the case of tangible common equity and tangible common equity to tangible assets; and total deposits in the case of core deposits and core deposits to total deposits. These non-GAAP disclosures have inherent limitations and are not audited. They should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for operating results reported in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Tax effected numbers included in these non-GAAP disclosures are based on estimated statutory rates, estimated federal income tax rates, or effective tax rates, as noted with the tables below.

38 384Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Pre-Provision Net Revenue and Related Measures Three Months Ended Years Ended (dollars in thousands) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Net interest income (GAAP) $ 81,578 $ 82,647 $ 77,345 $ 322,611 $ 320,621 Total noninterest income (GAAP) 35,221 35,845 31,304 139,682 121,214 Net security (gains) losses (GAAP) 196 (822) (761) 6,102 2,199 Total noninterest expense (GAAP) (78,167) (75,926) (74,979) (300,399) (285,532) Pre-provision net revenue (Non-GAAP) 38,828 41,744 32,909 167,996 158,502 Acquisition and restructuring expenses 3,585 1,935 4,237 8,140 4,328 Provision for unfunded commitments (455) 407 818 (1,095) 461 Amortization of New Markets Tax Credits — — 2,259 — 8,999 Realized (gain) loss on the sale of mortgage service rights — 18 — (7,724) — Adjusted pre-provision net revenue (Non-GAAP) $ 41,958 $ 44,104 $ 40,223 $ 167,317 $ 172,290 Average total assets (GAAP) [c] 12,085,993 12,007,702 12,308,491 12,051,871 12,246,218 Pre-provision net revenue to average total assets (Non-GAAP)1 [a÷c] 1.28 % 1.38 % 1.06 % 1.39 % 1.29 % Adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average total assets (Non-GAAP)1 [b÷c] 1.38 % 1.46 % 1.30 % 1.39 % 1.41 % ___________________________________________ 1. For quarterly periods, measures are annualized. Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

39 394Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Adjusted Net Income, Average Tangible Common Equity, and Related Ratios Three Months Ended Years Ended (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Net income (GAAP) [a] $ 28,105 $ 32,004 $ 25,749 $ 113,691 $ 122,565 Acquisition expenses: Salaries, wages, and employee benefits 247 73 — 1,457 — Data processing 14 90 — 548 — Professional fees, occupancy, furniture and fixtures, and other 2,208 1,772 266 4,896 357 Restructuring expenses: Salaries, wages, and employee benefits — — 3,760 123 3,760 Professional fees, occupancy, furniture and fixtures, and other 1,116 — 211 1,116 211 Acquisition and restructuring expenses 3,585 1,935 4,237 8,140 4,328 Related tax benefit1 (965) (406) (863) (2,026) (881) Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP) [b] $ 30,725 $ 33,533 $ 29,123 $ 119,805 $ 126,012 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (GAAP) [c] 57,934,812 57,967,848 56,333,033 57,543,001 56,256,148 Diluted earnings per common share (GAAP) [a÷c] $ 0.49 $ 0.55 $ 0.46 $ 1.98 $ 2.18 Adjusted diluted earnings per common share (Non-GAAP) [b÷c] $ 0.53 $ 0.58 $ 0.52 $ 2.08 $ 2.24 Average total assets (GAAP) [d] 12,085,993 12,007,702 12,308,491 12,051,871 12,246,218 Return on average assets (GAAP)2 [a÷d] 0.93 % 1.06 % 0.83 % 0.94 % 1.00 % Adjusted return on average assets (Non-GAAP)2 [b÷d] 1.01 % 1.11 % 0.94 % 0.99 % 1.03 % Average common equity (GAAP) $ 1,396,939 $ 1,364,377 $ 1,202,417 $ 1,342,424 $ 1,197,511 Average goodwill and other intangible assets, net (367,400) (369,720) (355,469) (366,601) (359,347) Average tangible common equity (Non-GAAP) [e] $ 1,029,539 $ 994,657 $ 846,948 $ 975,823 $ 838,164 Return on average tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)2 [a÷e] 10.86 % 12.80 % 12.06 % 11.65 % 14.62 % Adjusted return on average tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)2 [b÷e] 11.87 % 13.41 % 13.64 % 12.28 % 15.03 % ___________________________________________ 1. Year-to-date tax benefits were calculated by multiplying year-to-date acquisition and restructuring expenses by tax rates of 24.9% and 20.4% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Quarterly tax benefits were calculated as the year-to-date tax benefit amounts less the sum of amounts applied to previous quarters during the year, equating to tax rates of 26.9%, 21.0%, and 20.4% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively. 2. For quarterly periods, measures are annualized. Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

40 404Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited) Further Adjusted Net Income and Further Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share Three Months Ended Years Ended (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)1 $ 30,725 $ 33,533 $ 29,123 $ 119,805 $ 126,012 Further non-GAAP adjustments: Net securities (gains) losses 196 (822) (761) 6,102 2,199 Realized net (gains) losses on the sale of mortgage servicing rights — 18 — (7,724) — Tax effect for further non-GAAP adjustments2 (49) 199 171 419 (448) Tax effected further non-GAAP adjustments3 147 (605) (590) (1,203) 1,751 Further adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)3 [a] $ 30,872 $ 32,928 $ 28,533 $ 118,602 $ 127,763 One-time deferred tax valuation adjustment4 — — — 1,446 — Further adjusted net income, excluding one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment (Non-GAAP)3 [b] $ 30,872 $ 32,928 $ 28,533 $ 120,048 $ 127,763 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted [c] 57,934,812 57,967,848 56,333,033 57,543,001 56,256,148 Further adjusted diluted earnings per common share (Non-GAAP)3 [a÷c] $ 0.53 $ 0.57 $ 0.51 $ 2.06 $ 2.27 Further adjusted diluted earnings per common share, excluding one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment (Non-GAAP)3 [b÷c] $ 0.53 $ 0.57 $ 0.51 $ 2.09 $ 2.27 ___________________________________________ 1. Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP measure. See the table on the previous slide for a reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure. 2. Tax effects for further non-GAAP adjustments were calculated by multiplying further non-GAAP adjustments by the effective income tax rate for each period. Effective income tax rates were 24.8%, 24.8%, and 22.5% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively, and were 25.8% and 20.4% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. 3. Tax-effected measure. 4. A one-time deferred tax valuation adjustment of $1.4 million resulted from a change to our Illinois apportionment rate due to recently enacted regulations.

41 414Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited) ___________________________________________ 1. Tax-equivalent adjustments were calculated using an estimated federal income tax rate of 21%, applied to non-taxable interest income on investments and loans. 2. Tax-effected measure. Tax-Equivalent Net Interest Income, Adjusted Net Interest Income, Net Interest Margin, and Adjusted Net Interest Margin Three Months Ended Years Ended (dollars in thousands) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Net interest income (GAAP) $ 81,578 $ 82,647 $ 77,345 $ 322,611 $ 320,621 Tax-equivalent adjustment1 446 396 501 1,693 2,173 Tax-equivalent net interest income (Non-GAAP) [a] 82,024 83,043 77,846 324,304 322,794 Purchase accounting accretion related to business combinations (812) (1,338) (384) (3,166) (1,477) Adjusted net interest income (Non-GAAP) [b] $ 81,212 $ 81,705 $ 77,462 $ 321,138 $ 321,317 Average interest-earning assets (GAAP) [c] 11,048,350 10,942,745 11,235,326 10,999,424 11,181,010 Net interest margin (Non-GAAP)2 [a÷c] 2.95 % 3.02 % 2.75 % 2.95 % 2.89 % Adjusted net interest margin (Non-GAAP)2 [b÷c] 2.92 % 2.97 % 2.74 % 2.92 % 2.87 %

42 424Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Adjusted Noninterest Income, Revenue Measures, Adjusted Noninterest Expense, Adjusted Core Expense, and Efficiency Ratios Three Months Ended Years Ended (dollars in thousands) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Net interest income (GAAP) [a] $ 81,578 $ 82,647 $ 77,345 $ 322,611 $ 320,621 Tax-equivalent adjustment1 446 396 501 1,693 2,173 Tax-equivalent net interest income (Non-GAAP) [b] 82,024 83,043 77,846 324,304 322,794 Total noninterest income (GAAP) 35,221 35,845 31,304 139,682 121,214 Net security (gains) losses (GAAP) 196 (822) (761) 6,102 2,199 Noninterest income excluding net securities gains and losses (Non-GAAP) [c] 35,417 35,023 30,543 145,784 123,413 Realized net (gains) losses on the sale of mortgage servicing rights (GAAP) — 18 — $ (7,724) $ — Adjusted noninterest income (Non-GAAP) [d] $ 35,417 $ 35,041 $ 30,543 138,060 123,413 Tax-equivalent revenue (Non-GAAP) [e = b+c] $ 117,441 $ 118,066 $ 108,389 $ 470,088 $ 446,207 Adjusted tax-equivalent revenue (Non-GAAP) [f = b+d] 117,441 118,084 108,389 462,364 446,207 Operating revenue (Non-GAAP) [g = a+d] 116,995 117,688 107,888 460,671 444,034 Adjusted noninterest income to operating revenue (Non-GAAP) [d÷g] 30.27 % 29.77 % 28.31 % 29.97 % 27.79 % Total noninterest expense (GAAP) $ 78,167 $ 75,926 $ 74,979 $ 300,399 $ 285,532 Amortization of intangible assets (GAAP) [h] (2,471) (2,548) (2,479) (10,057) (10,432) Noninterest expense excluding amortization of intangible assets (Non-GAAP) [i] 75,696 73,378 72,500 290,342 275,100 Non-operating adjustments: Salaries, wages, and employee benefits (247) (73) (3,760) (1,580) (3,760) Data processing (14) (90) — (548) — Professional fees, occupancy, furniture and fixtures, and other (3,324) (1,772) (477) (6,012) (568) Adjusted noninterest expense (Non-GAAP) [j] 72,111 71,443 68,263 282,202 270,772 Provision for unfunded commitments 455 (407) (818) 1,095 (461) Amortization of New Markets Tax Credits — — (2,259) — (8,999) Adjusted core expense (Non-GAAP) [k] $ 72,566 $ 71,036 $ 65,186 $ 283,297 $ 261,312 Noninterest expense, excluding non-operating adjustments (Non-GAAP) [j-h] $ 74,582 $ 73,991 $ 70,742 $ 292,259 $ 281,204 Efficiency ratio (Non-GAAP) [i÷e] 64.45 % 62.15 % 66.89 % 61.76 % 61.65 % Adjusted efficiency ratio (Non-GAAP) [j÷f] 61.40 % 60.50 % 62.98 % 61.03 % 60.68 % Adjusted core efficiency ratio (Non-GAAP) [k÷f] 61.79 % 60.16 % 60.14 % 61.27 % 58.56 % Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited) ___________________________________________ 1. Tax-equivalent adjustments were calculated using an estimated federal income tax rate of 21%, applied to non-taxable interest income on investments and loans.

43 434Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Tangible Book Value and Tangible Book Value Per Common Share As of (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 Total stockholders' equity (GAAP) $ 1,383,269 $ 1,402,884 $ 1,271,981 Goodwill and other intangible assets, net (GAAP) (365,975) (368,249) (353,864) Tangible book value (Non-GAAP) [a] $ 1,017,294 $ 1,034,635 $ 918,117 Ending number of common shares outstanding (GAAP) [b] 56,895,981 56,872,241 55,244,119 Tangible book value per common share (Non-GAAP) [a÷b] $ 17.88 $ 18.19 $ 16.62 Tangible Assets, Tangible Common Equity, and Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets As of (dollars in thousands) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 Total assets (GAAP) $ 12,046,722 $ 11,986,839 $ 12,283,415 Goodwill and other intangible assets, net (GAAP) (365,975) (368,249) (353,864) Tax effect of other intangible assets1 6,379 7,178 6,888 Tangible assets (Non-GAAP)2 [a] $ 11,687,126 $ 11,625,768 $ 11,936,439 Total stockholders' equity (GAAP) $ 1,383,269 $ 1,402,884 $ 1,271,981 Goodwill and other intangible assets, net (GAAP) (365,975) (368,249) (353,864) Tax effect of other intangible assets1 6,379 7,178 6,888 Tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)2 [b] $ 1,023,673 $ 1,041,813 $ 925,005 Tangible common equity to tangible assets (Non-GAAP)2 [b÷a] 8.76 % 8.96 % 7.75 % ___________________________________________ 1. Net of estimated deferred tax liability, calculated using the estimated statutory tax rate of 26.73% as of December 31, 2024, and 28% as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. 2. Tax-effected measure. Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

44 444Q24 Earnings Investor Presentation First Busey Corporation | Ticker: BUSE Core Deposits and Related Ratios As of (dollars in thousands) December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 Portfolio loans (GAAP) [a] $ 7,697,087 $ 7,809,097 $ 7,651,034 Total deposits (GAAP) [b] $ 9,982,490 $ 9,943,241 $ 10,291,156 Brokered deposits, excluding brokered time deposits of $250,000 or more (13,090) (13,089) (6,001) Time deposits of $250,000 or more (334,503) (338,808) (386,286) Core deposits (Non-GAAP) [c] $ 9,634,897 $ 9,591,344 $ 9,898,869 RATIOS Core deposits to total deposits (Non-GAAP) [c÷b] 96.52 % 96.46 % 96.19 % Portfolio loans to core deposits (Non-GAAP) [a÷c] 79.89 % 81.42 % 77.29 % Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)

Cover	Jan. 28, 2025
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Jan. 28, 2025
Entity Registrant Name	First Busey Corporation
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	NV
Entity File Number	0-15950
Entity Tax Identification Number	37-1078406
Entity Address, Address Line One	100 W. University Ave.
Entity Address, City or Town	Champaign
Entity Address, State or Province	IL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	61820
City Area Code	(217)
Local Phone Number	365-4544
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.001 par value
Trading Symbol	BUSE
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000314489

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