OceanFirst Financial Corp. and Flushing Financial Corporation Announce Receipt of All Requisite Regulatory and Shareholder Approvals to Complete Proposed Merger and Annual Meeting Date
Rhea-AI Summary
OceanFirst Financial (NASDAQ: OCFC) and Flushing Financial (NASDAQ: FFIC) received all required regulatory and shareholder approvals to complete their merger, including Federal Reserve approval on April 24, 2026.
Both companies expect to close the transaction by June 1, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, and OceanFirst set its 2026 virtual annual meeting for May 27, 2026.
Positive
- Received full regulatory approvals including Federal Reserve on April 24, 2026
- Shareholder approval obtained on April 2, 2026
- Targeted close date of merger by June 1, 2026
Negative
- Potential dilution from OceanFirst issuance of additional shares in the transaction
- Completion remains subject to customary closing conditions and risks to closing
News Market Reaction – OCFC
In the Apr 27 session, OCFC declined 1.00%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Previous Acquisition Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-06 | Merger approvals update | Positive | +1.4% | Shareholder and key state and OCC approvals for Flushing merger announced. |
| 2025-12-29 | Merger deal announcement | Positive | -6.7% | All-stock Flushing merger and $225M Warburg Pincus investment unveiled. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Acquisition-related announcements have produced mixed reactions, with one positive and one negative move, and an average move of -2.65% on such news.
Over the past several months, OceanFirst has focused on its merger with Flushing Financial. The initial merger agreement and Warburg Pincus investment on Dec 29, 2025 led to a notable negative price reaction, while shareholder and certain regulatory approvals on Apr 6, 2026 coincided with a positive move. Today’s update that all requisite regulatory and shareholder approvals are in hand advances the same merger process toward its anticipated closing.
Key Terms
board of governors of the federal reserve system regulatory
office of the comptroller of the currency regulatory
fdic insured regulatory
equal housing lender regulatory
proxy card regulatory
joint proxy statement/prospectus regulatory
registration statement on form s-4 regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
RED BANK, N.J. and UNIONDALE, N.Y., April 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OceanFirst Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: “OCFC”) (“OceanFirst”), the holding company for OceanFirst Bank N.A., and Flushing Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: “FFIC”) (“Flushing”), the holding company for Flushing Bank, today jointly announced the receipt of regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) on April 24, 2026, to complete the proposed merger of Flushing with and into OceanFirst. The Federal Reserve approval follows recent approvals from the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on March 23, 2026, and April 6, 2026, respectively. All necessary regulatory approvals to complete the proposed transaction have now been received. In addition, as previously announced, both OceanFirst and Flushing received shareholder approval for the transaction on April 2, 2026.
OceanFirst and Flushing expect to close the merger no later than June 1, 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions.
OceanFirst also announced that its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held virtually on Wednesday May 27, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The record date for stockholders to vote at the Annual Meeting is Thursday, April 2, 2026. Voting before the meeting is encouraged, even for stockholders planning to participate in the virtual webcast. Votes may be submitted by telephone or online according to the instructions on the proxy card or by mail. A link to the live webcast is available by visiting oceanfirst.com - Investor Relations. Access will begin at 7:45 a.m. Eastern Time to allow time for stockholders to log-in with the control number provided on the proxy card prior to 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time scheduled start. Eligible stockholders may also vote during the live meeting online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/OCFC2026 by entering the 16-digit control number included on the proxy card or notice. As a reminder, participants of the meeting are not required to vote. Additional information regarding virtual access to the meeting will be distributed prior to the meeting.
About OceanFirst
OceanFirst Financial Corp.’s subsidiary, OceanFirst Bank N.A., founded in 1902, is a
About Flushing
Flushing Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:FFIC) is the holding company for Flushing Bank, an FDIC insured, New York State-chartered commercial bank that operates banking offices in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and on Long Island. The Bank has been building relationships with families, business owners, and communities since 1929. Today, it offers the products, services, and conveniences associated with large commercial banks, including a full complement of deposit, loan, equipment finance, and cash management services. Rewarding customers with personalized attention and bankers that can communicate in the languages prevalent within these multicultural markets is what makes the Bank uniquely different. As an Equal Housing Lender and leader in real estate lending, the Bank's experienced lending teams create mortgage solutions for real estate owners and property managers both within and outside the New York City metropolitan area. The Bank also fosters relationships with consumers nationwide through its online banking division with the iGObanking and BankPurely brands.
Additional information on Flushing Bank and Flushing Financial Corporation may be obtained by visiting the Company's website at FlushingBank.com.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the proposed transaction between OceanFirst and Flushing and the proposed investment by affiliates of funds managed by Warburg Pincus LLC (“Warburg”) in equity securities of OceanFirst. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words such as “ estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “may,” “could,” “target,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed transaction between OceanFirst and Flushing and the proposed investment by Warburg, including statements as to the expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed transaction. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s management and are not predictions of actual performance, and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict, may differ from assumptions and many are beyond the control of OceanFirst and Flushing. The forward-looking statements are intended to be subject to the safe harbor provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: (i) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; (ii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed transaction, including obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals (and the risk that such regulatory approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the transaction); (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement between OceanFirst and Flushing; (iv) the inability to obtain alternative capital in the event it becomes necessary to complete the proposed transaction; (v) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed transaction on OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s business relationships, operating results and business generally; (vi) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations of OceanFirst and Flushing; (vii) potential difficulties in retaining OceanFirst and Flushing customers and employees as a result of the proposed transaction; (viii) OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s estimates of its financial performance; (ix) changes in general economic, political, or industry conditions, including persistent inflation, supply chain issues or labor shortages, instability in global economic conditions and geopolitical matters, as well as volatility in financial markets; (x) uncertainty in U.S. fiscal and monetary policy, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve; (xi) the credit risks of lending activities, which may be affected by deterioration in real estate markets and the financial condition of borrowers, and the operational risk of lending activities, including the effectiveness of OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s underwriting practices and the risk of fraud; (xii) fluctuations in the demand for loans; (xiii) the ability to develop and maintain a strong core deposit base or other low cost funding sources necessary to fund OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s activities particularly in a rising or high interest rate environment; (xiv) the rapid withdrawal of a significant amount of deposits over a short period of time; (xv) results of examinations by regulatory authorities of OceanFirst or Flushing and the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, limit OceanFirst’s or Flushing’s business activities, restrict OceanFirst’s or Flushing’s ability to invest in certain assets, refrain from issuing an approval or non-objection to certain capital or other actions, increase OceanFirst’s or Flushing’s allowance for credit losses, result in write-downs of asset values, restrict OceanFirst’s or Flushing’s ability or that of OceanFirst’s or Flushing’s bank subsidiary to pay dividends, or impose fines, penalties or sanctions; (xvi) the impact of bank failures or other adverse developments at other banks on general investor sentiment regarding the stability and liquidity of banks; (xvii) changes in the markets in which OceanFirst and Flushing compete, including with respect to the competitive landscape, technology evolution or regulatory changes; (xviii) changes in consumer spending, borrowing and saving habits; (xix) slowdowns in securities trading or shifting demand for security trading products; (xx) the impact of pandemics and other catastrophic events or disasters on the global economy and financial market conditions and our business, results of operations, and financial condition; (xxi) legislative or regulatory changes; (xxii) changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs, (xxiii) impact of operating in a highly competitive industry; (xxiv) reliance on third party service providers; (xxv) competition in retaining key employees; (xxvi) risks related to data security and privacy, including the impact of any data security breaches, cyberattacks, employee or other internal misconduct, malware, phishing or ransomware, physical security breaches, natural disasters, or similar disruptions; (xxvii) changes to accounting principles and guidelines; (xxviii) potential litigation relating to the proposed transaction that could be instituted against OceanFirst, Flushing or their respective directors and officers, including the effects of any outcomes related thereto; (xxix) volatility in the trading price of OceanFirst’s or Flushing’s securities; (xxx) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transaction, and identify and realize additional opportunities; (xxxi) the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected expenses, factors or events; (xxxii) the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the transaction are not 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 OceanFirst and Flushing do business; and (xxxiii) the dilution caused by OceanFirst’s issuance of additional shares of its capital stock in connection with the transaction. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth above.
You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of OceanFirst’s registration statement on Form S-4 that contains a joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed by OceanFirst or Flushing from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These filings do and will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual events and results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither OceanFirst nor Flushing presently knows or that OceanFirst or Flushing currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual events and results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. OceanFirst and Flushing anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s assessments to change. While OceanFirst and Flushing may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, OceanFirst and Flushing specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, unless required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Neither OceanFirst nor Flushing gives any assurance that either OceanFirst or Flushing, or the combined company, will achieve the results or other matters set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
This press release relates to the proposed transaction between OceanFirst and Flushing and the proposed investment in OceanFirst by Warburg. On February 6, 2026, OceanFirst filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC (as amended on February 23, 2026), which includes a preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus that was distributed to holders of OceanFirst’s common stock and Flushing’s common stock in connection with OceanFirst’s and Flushing’s solicitation of proxies for the vote by OceanFirst’s stockholders and Flushing’s stockholders with respect to the proposed transaction. After the registration statement was declared effective, OceanFirst and Flushing mailed a definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective stockholders that, as of the applicable record date, were entitled to vote on the matters considered at the OceanFirst stockholder meeting and at the Flushing stockholder meeting, as applicable.
BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE ENTIRE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AND THE DEFINITIVE VERSIONS THEREOF, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO SUCH DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.
Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, the joint proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by OceanFirst or Flushing through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.
The documents filed by OceanFirst or Flushing with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge at OceanFirst’s or Flushing’s website at https://ir.oceanfirst.com/, under the heading “Financials” or https://investor.flushingbank.com/, under the heading “Financials”, respectively, or upon written request to OceanFirst, Attention: Investor Relations, 110 West Front Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701 or Flushing, Attention: Investor Relations, 220 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, New York 11556, respectively.
Company Contact:
Patrick S. Barrett
Chief Financial Officer
OceanFirst Financial Corp.
1.888.623.2633 ext. 27507
Email: pbarrett@oceanfirst.com
Investor Relations Inquiries:
OceanFirst Financial Corp.
Alfred Goon
SVP Corporate Development and Investor Relations
investorrelations@oceanfirst.com
Flushing Financial Corporation
Susan K. Cullen
SEVP Chief Financial Officer
scullen@flushingbank.com
