STOCK TITAN

Columbia Financial (NASDAQ: CLBK) CEO reports award forfeiture and new phantom stock

Filing Impact
(Neutral)
Filing Sentiment
(Neutral)
Form Type
4

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Columbia Financial, Inc. President & CEO Thomas J. Kemly reported routine updates to his equity holdings. On May 1, 2026, he forfeited 32,558 shares of performance-based restricted stock back to the company after performance objectives were not fully achieved, while 6,512 shares from the same May 1, 2023 grant were determined to vest. He also acquired 96.5034 phantom stock units at $19.25 per unit through a non-qualified stock-based deferral plan, to be settled in shares upon distribution. Following the disposition, he held 249,269 shares of common stock directly, alongside indirect and deferred holdings and a substantial package of vested and vesting stock options.

Positive

  • None.

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  • None.
Insider Kemly Thomas J.
Role President & CEO
Type Security Shares Price Value
Grant/Award Common Stock 96.503 $19.25 $2K
Disposition Common Stock 32,558 $0.00 --
holding Stock Options (right to buy) -- -- --
holding Stock Options (right to buy) -- -- --
holding Stock Options (right to buy) -- -- --
holding Stock Options (right to buy) -- -- --
holding Stock Options (right to buy) -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
holding Common Stock -- -- --
Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 69,235.99 shares (Indirect, By Stock-Based Deferral Plan); Common Stock — 249,269 shares (Direct, null); Stock Options (right to buy) — 656,471 shares (Direct, null)
Footnotes (1)
  1. Represents phantom stock purchased, on a non-discretionary basis, by the trustee of the Bank's rabbi trust maintained in connection with the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan, a non-qualified stock-based deferral plan. Stock unit interests under the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan will be settled in shares of stock upon distribution to the reporting person. Represents the forfeiture of performance-based restricted stock granted to the reporting person on May 1, 2023 that were eligible to vest based on certain performance objectives. On May 1, 2026 the Company determined that, based on the Company's performance over the applicable performance period, 6,512 shares would vest and 32,558 shares would be forfeited. The number of shares held directly includes certain shares that were previously held by Stock Award and that have subsequently vested. Stock Awards granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive plan, 25% of which vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 6, 2025; and the remaining 75% of which vest upon achievement of certain specified performance-based vesting criteria, which if achieved, such Awards would vest three years after the date of the Award. Stock Awards granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive plan, which vest upon achievement of certain specified performance-based vesting criteria, which if achieved, such Awards would vest three years after the date of the Award on March 3, 2028. Stock Awards granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive plan, which vest upon achievement of certain specified performance-based vesting criteria, which if achieved, such Awards would vest three years after the date of the Award on March 2, 2029. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan are fully vested and exercisable. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 6, 2025. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 3, 2026. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 2, 2027.
Forfeited performance-based shares 32,558 shares Performance-based restricted stock forfeited on May 1, 2026
Vested performance-based shares 6,512 shares Portion of May 1, 2023 performance grant determined to vest
Phantom stock acquired 96.5034 units at $19.25 Stock-Based Deferral Plan acquisition on May 1, 2026
Direct common shares after disposition 249,269 shares Direct ownership following issuer disposition of 32,558 shares
Indirect deferral plan holdings 69,235.9897 shares Total common stock units via Stock-Based Deferral Plan after acquisition
Largest option grant 656,471 shares at $15.60 Stock options expiring July 23, 2029, direct ownership
Additional option grant 94,749 shares at $16.23 Stock options expiring March 3, 2035, direct ownership
phantom stock financial
"Represents phantom stock purchased, on a non-discretionary basis, by the trustee"
A phantom stock is a form of compensation that gives employees or executives the benefits of stock ownership, such as the increase in stock value, without actually giving them real shares. It acts like a promise to pay the employee the equivalent value of company stock later, often as a bonus or incentive. This allows companies to motivate and reward staff without diluting ownership or transferring actual shares.
rabbi trust financial
"by the trustee of the Bank's rabbi trust maintained in connection with the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan"
A rabbi trust is a special account a company sets up to hold promised future pay for executives, like bonus or retirement money, so those employees can see there are funds earmarked for them. It matters to investors because it signals the company’s commitment to keep key people, but the money is still part of the company’s assets and can be claimed by creditors if the company goes bankrupt—think of it as a labeled jar that isn’t completely off-limits.
non-qualified stock-based deferral plan financial
"Stock Based Deferral Plan, a non-qualified stock-based deferral plan"
performance-based restricted stock financial
"Represents the forfeiture of performance-based restricted stock granted to the reporting person"
Shares granted to employees or executives that are held back and only become actual, tradable stock if the company meets predefined performance targets; until those goals are met the shares cannot be sold. Think of it like a bonus held in escrow that’s released only when specific results are achieved — investors watch these awards because they tie management pay to company outcomes, can dilute existing shareholders when released, and signal how confident or incentivized insiders are to meet growth or profitability goals.
Stock Options (right to buy) financial
"Stock Options (right to buy) granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan"
2019 Equity Incentive Plan financial
"Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan"
SEC Form 4
FORM 4UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number:3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:0.5
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Kemly Thomas J.

(Last)(First)(Middle)
19-01 ROUTE 208 NORTH

(Street)
FAIR LAWN NEW JERSEY 07410

(City)(State)(Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Columbia Financial, Inc. [ CLBK ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
XDirector10% Owner
XOfficer (give title below)Other (specify below)
President & CEO
2a. Foreign Trading Symbol
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/01/2026
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
XForm filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeVAmount(A) or (D)Price
Common Stock05/01/2026A96.5034(1)A$19.2569,235.9897IBy Stock-Based Deferral Plan
Common Stock05/01/2026D32,558(2)D$0249,269(3)D
Common Stock40,946IBy 401(k)
Common Stock8,689IBy ESOP
Common Stock35,309IBy SERP
Common Stock41,572IBy SIM
Common Stock5,933IBy Spouse
Common Stock46,078IBy Stock Award III(4)
Common Stock54,690IBy Stock Award IV(5)
Common Stock53,842IBy Stock Award V(6)
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeV(A)(D)Date ExercisableExpiration DateTitleAmount or Number of Shares
Stock Options (right to buy)$15.607/23/2020(7)07/23/2029Common Stock656,471656,471D
Stock Options (right to buy)$15.9405/01/2024(7)05/01/2033Common Stock37,89437,894D
Stock Options (right to buy)$16.4903/06/2025(8)03/06/2034Common Stock37,16837,168D
Stock Options (right to buy)$16.2303/03/2026(9)03/03/2035Common Stock94,74994,749D
Stock Options (right to buy)$18.2803/02/2027(10)03/02/2036Common Stock91,47791,477D
Explanation of Responses:
1. Represents phantom stock purchased, on a non-discretionary basis, by the trustee of the Bank's rabbi trust maintained in connection with the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan, a non-qualified stock-based deferral plan. Stock unit interests under the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan will be settled in shares of stock upon distribution to the reporting person.
2. Represents the forfeiture of performance-based restricted stock granted to the reporting person on May 1, 2023 that were eligible to vest based on certain performance objectives. On May 1, 2026 the Company determined that, based on the Company's performance over the applicable performance period, 6,512 shares would vest and 32,558 shares would be forfeited.
3. The number of shares held directly includes certain shares that were previously held by Stock Award and that have subsequently vested.
4. Stock Awards granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive plan, 25% of which vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 6, 2025; and the remaining 75% of which vest upon achievement of certain specified performance-based vesting criteria, which if achieved, such Awards would vest three years after the date of the Award.
5. Stock Awards granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive plan, which vest upon achievement of certain specified performance-based vesting criteria, which if achieved, such Awards would vest three years after the date of the Award on March 3, 2028.
6. Stock Awards granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive plan, which vest upon achievement of certain specified performance-based vesting criteria, which if achieved, such Awards would vest three years after the date of the Award on March 2, 2029.
7. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan are fully vested and exercisable.
8. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 6, 2025.
9. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 3, 2026.
10. Stock Options granted pursuant to the Columbia Financial, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing on March 2, 2027.
Remarks:
/s/ Dennis E. Gibney, Power of Attorney05/05/2026
** Signature of Reporting PersonDate
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What did CLBK CEO Thomas J. Kemly report in this Form 4 filing?

Thomas J. Kemly reported routine changes in Columbia Financial (CLBK) equity awards. He forfeited performance-based restricted stock and received additional phantom stock units through a stock-based deferral plan, while maintaining substantial direct share ownership and stock option positions under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.

How many Columbia Financial performance-based shares were forfeited by the CEO?

Kemly forfeited 32,558 shares of performance-based restricted stock on May 1, 2026. These shares were part of a May 1, 2023 grant whose vesting depended on specified performance objectives. The company determined only a portion of the award met the required performance targets.

How many Columbia Financial performance-based shares still vested for the CEO?

The company determined that 6,512 shares from Kemly’s May 1, 2023 performance-based restricted stock grant would vest. The remaining 32,558 shares from that award were forfeited. This reflects how actual company performance compared to the multi-year targets tied to the grant.

What stock did the CLBK CEO acquire through the deferral plan?

Kemly acquired 96.5034 phantom stock units at $19.25 each through the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan. These units are held in a rabbi trust and will be settled in Columbia Financial common shares when distributions to him occur under the plan’s terms.

How many Columbia Financial shares does the CEO hold directly after these transactions?

After the reported disposition, Kemly held 249,269 shares of Columbia Financial common stock directly. He also has multiple indirect holdings through award vehicles and a significant portfolio of stock options granted under the company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.

What stock options on CLBK shares does the CEO retain according to this filing?

Kemly retains several option grants on Columbia Financial common stock, including 656,471 underlying shares at a $15.60 exercise price expiring in 2029. Additional grants cover tens of thousands of shares each at exercise prices between $15.94 and $18.28, with expirations through 2036.