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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2026

Registration No. 333-296272

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Amendment NO. 1
TO

FORM S-4

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

HBT Financial, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware

(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)

6022

(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)

37-1117216

(IRS Employer
Identification Number)

401 North Hershey Rd
Bloomington, Illinois 61704
309-662-4444

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

J. Lance Carter
President and Chief Executive Officer
401 North Hershey Rd
Bloomington, Illinois 61704
(888) 897-2276

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

Abdul R. Mitha
Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP
200 West Madison Street, Suite 3900
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 984-3100

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

If the securities being registered on this Form are being offered in connection with the formation of a holding company and there is compliance with General Instruction G, check the following box. ☐

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

	Large accelerated filer ☐			Accelerated filer ☒
	Non-accelerated filer ☐			Smaller reporting company ☐
				Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

If applicable, place an X in the box to designate the appropriate rule provision relied upon in conducting this transaction:

Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(i) (Cross-Border Issuer Tender Offer)

☐

Exchange Act Rule 14d-1(d) (Cross-Border Third-Party Tender Offer)

☐

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until this registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 20. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Delaware Law. The Company is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL allows a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation will not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached the duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. The Certificate of Incorporation provides for this limitation of liability.

Section 145 of the DGCL (“Section 145”) provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was, is or is threatened to be made, party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding; provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was illegal. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him against the expenses which such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred. Section 145 further authorizes a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise, against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would otherwise have the power to indemnify him or her under Section 145. Each of the directors and officers of the Company are covered by insurance policies maintained and held in effect by the Company against certain liabilities for actions taken in such capacities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. Article Ninth of the Certificate of Incorporation provides that, no director of the Company shall be liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages arising from a breach of such director’s fiduciary duty as a director owed to the Company or its stockholders, except to the extent that such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL.

Article VI of the Bylaws provides that, to the extent permitted by the DGCL, the Company shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Under the DGCL, the termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon

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application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. To the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith. Any indemnification (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Company only upon a determination in the specific case that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth above. Such determination shall be made (a) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceedings, (b) by a committee of such directors designated by a majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, (c) if such quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable and a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel (compensated by the Company) in a written opinion, or (d) by the stockholders.

The foregoing description of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws is qualified in its entirety by reference to each such document, which are listed as Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2 respectively, hereto.

Liability Insurance. The Company maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance which covers certain liabilities and expenses of its directors and officers and covers it for reimbursement of payments to our directors and officers in respect of such liabilities and expenses, in each case subject to certain limits and exceptions.

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Item 22. Undertakings.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i)

to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii)

to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement (notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in the volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement); and

(iii)

to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

(2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

For the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i)

any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii)

any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii)

the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

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(iv)

any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to respond to requests for information that is incorporated by reference into the prospectus pursuant to Items 4, 10(b), 11, or 13 of this Form, within one (1) business day of receipt of such request, and to send the incorporated documents by first class mail or other equally prompt means. This includes information contained in documents filed subsequent to the effective date of the registration statement through the date of responding to the request.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supply by means of a post-effective amendment all information concerning a transaction, and the company being acquired involved therein, that was not the subject of and included in the registration statement when it became effective.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Bloomington, State of Illinois, on June 12, 2026.

HBT FINANCIAL, INC.

By:

/s/ J. Lance Carter

Name:

J. Lance Carter

Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below on June 12, 2026 by the following persons in the capacities indicated below.

	Signature			Capacity
	/s/ J. Lance Carter J. Lance Carter			President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
	* Peter R. Chapman			Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
	* Fred L. Drake			Executive Chairman and Director
	* James T. Ashworth			Director
	* Roger A. Baker			Director
	* C. Alvin Bowman			Director
	* Eric E. Burwell			Director
	* Patrick F. Busch			Director
	* Allen C. Drake			Director
	* Linda J. Koch			Director

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	Exhibit Number			Description
	3.1			Restated Certificate of Incorporation of HBT Financial, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, filed with the SEC on October 30, 2019).
	3.2			Amended and Restated Bylaws of HBT Financial, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, filed with the SEC on October 30, 2019).
	4.1			Indenture, dated March 11, 2026, by and between HBT Financial, Inc. and UMB Bank, N.A., as trustee (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 11, 2026).
	4.2			Forms of 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036 (included as Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 to the Indenture incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit 4.1 hereto).
	4.3			Form of Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 11, 2026, by and among HBT Financial, Inc. and the Purchasers signatory thereto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 11, 2026).
	5.1*			Opinion of Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP.
	21.1			Subsidiaries of HBT Financial, Inc. (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 6, 2026).
	23.1			Consent of RSM US LLP (filed herewith).
	23.2*			Consent of Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP (included in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).
	24.1*			Power of Attorney (included in Part II as a part of the signature page of this Registration Statement).
	25.1*			Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of UMB Bank, N.A.
	99.1*			Form of Letter of Transmittal.
	107*			Filing Fee Table.

	Signature			Capacity
	* Michael J. Morton			Director
	* Gerald E. Pfeiffer			Director
	* Nancy L. Ruyle			Director