Lakeside merger with Catalyst Bancorp (Nasdaq: CLST) cleared to close

Filing Impact

(Very High)

Filing Sentiment

(Neutral)

Form Type

8-K

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Catalyst Bancorp, Inc., parent of Catalyst Bank, announced that Lakeside Bancshares shareholders have approved their pending merger and that all required regulatory approvals have been received. The mergers of Lakeside into Catalyst and Lakeside Bank into Catalyst Bank are expected to close on or about July 14, 2026, subject to remaining closing conditions in the merger agreement.

Catalyst Bancorp is a Louisiana bank holding company with $288.5 million in assets as of March 31, 2026, operating six full-service branches in the Acadiana region. Both the 8-K and the attached press release emphasize customary forward-looking statement cautions and outline integration, timing and execution risks related to the transaction.

Insights

Merger approvals clear a key hurdle, with closing targeted for mid-July 2026.

Catalyst Bancorp and Lakeside Bancshares now have both shareholder approval at Lakeside and all required regulatory approvals for their bank holding company and bank-level mergers. This substantially reduces deal uncertainty, leaving only standard closing conditions under the April 7, 2026 merger agreement.

The transaction is framed as a strategic combination, with Catalyst Bancorp reporting $288.5 million in assets as of March 31, 2026. Management highlights expected benefits but also lists typical integration and execution risks, including realizing cost savings, maintaining customer and employee relationships, and managing disruption.

The companies expect to close the mergers on or about July 14, 2026, assuming remaining conditions are met or waived. Subsequent filings will be important for details on post-closing financial performance, integration progress and whether anticipated synergies and operating efficiencies materialize over time.

8-K Event Classification

2 items: 8.01, 9.01

2 items

Item 8.01 Other Events Other

Voluntary disclosure of events the company deems important to shareholders but not covered by other items.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits

Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.

Key Figures

Merger expected closing date: on or about July 14, 2026 Catalyst Bancorp assets: $288.5 million Shareholder approval: Lakeside shareholders approved merger +5 more

8 metrics

Merger expected closing date on or about July 14, 2026 Expected completion date for the Catalyst–Lakeside mergers

Catalyst Bancorp assets $288.5 million Total assets at March 31, 2026 for Catalyst Bancorp

Shareholder approval Lakeside shareholders approved merger Necessary shareholder vote for Lakeside Bancshares

Regulatory approvals All required approvals obtained Clearance for the mergers of holding companies and banks

Catalyst Bank branches six full-service branches Branch network in the Acadiana region of Louisiana

Catalyst Bank founding year 1922 Year operations began in the Acadiana region

Lakeside Bank opening date July 10, 2010 Start of operations as a full-service financial institution

Merger agreement date April 7, 2026 Date of Agreement and Plan of Share Exchange and Merger

Key Terms

Agreement and Plan of Share Exchange and Merger, bank holding company, forward-looking statements, cost savings and any other synergies, +1 more

5 terms

bank holding company financial

"is a Louisiana corporation and registered bank holding company for Catalyst Bank, its wholly-owned subsidiary"

A bank holding company is a parent corporation that owns one or more banks and other financial businesses, like a household that controls several shops under the same roof. Investors care because this structure determines how the business is regulated, how it raises capital, pays dividends, and absorbs losses; it can make a banking group safer or riskier and affects the value and liquidity of the company’s shares.

forward-looking statements regulatory

"This news release contains, and the officers and directors of Catalyst and its subsidiary may from time to time make, forward-looking statements within the meaning"

Forward-looking statements are predictions or plans that companies share about what they expect to happen in the future, like estimating sales or profits. They matter because they help investors understand a company's outlook, but since they are based on guesses and assumptions, they can sometimes be wrong.

cost savings and any other synergies financial

"the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the proposed merger may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected"

emerging growth company regulatory

"405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company"

An emerging growth company is a recently public or smaller public firm that qualifies for temporary, lighter regulatory and disclosure rules to reduce the cost and effort of being public. For investors, it means the company may provide less historical financial detail and face fewer reporting requirements than larger firms, so it can grow more quickly but also carries higher uncertainty—like buying a promising early-stage product with fewer user reviews.

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Understanding 8-K Material Events →

Available on EDGAR 06/26/2026 - 10:54 AM Accepted by SEC EDGAR 06/26/2026 - 10:54 AM

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)	June 26, 2026

Catalyst Bancorp, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Louisiana	001-40893	86-2411762
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)


235 N. Court Street, Opelousas, Louisiana	70570
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)


Registrant’s telephone number, including area code	(337) 948-3033

Not Applicable

(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 (see General Instruction A.2 below):


☐	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	CLST	Nasdaq Capital Market

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).

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

ITEM 8.01 Other Events

On June 26, 2026, Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. (“Catalyst”), the parent company for Catalyst Bank, and Lakeside Bancshares, Inc. (“Lakeside”), the parent company for Lakeside Bank, issued a joint press release announcing that Lakeside shareholders have approved the pending merger with Catalyst and all required regulatory approvals have been obtained with respect to the previously announced mergers (the “Mergers”) of Lakeside with and into Catalyst and Lakeside Bank with and into Catalyst Bank, with Catalyst and Catalyst Bank continuing as the surviving entities, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Share Exchange and Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of April 7, 2026, by and among Catalyst, Catalyst Bank, Lakeside and Lakeside Bank.

All required regulatory approvals to complete the Mergers have now been received. The Mergers are expected to close on or about July 14, 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report contains, and the officers and directors of Catalyst and its subsidiary may from time to time make, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are typically identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “target,” “forecast,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

Catalyst cautions readers that any forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements about the benefits of the proposed Mergers, including future financial and operating results; statements about Catalyst’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; statements about the expected timing of completion of the proposed Mergers; and other statements that are not historical facts. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: (i) the risk that a condition to closing may not be satisfied; (ii) the timing to consummate the proposed Mergers; (iii) the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; (iv) the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the proposed Mergers may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; (v) disruption from the proposed Mergers making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or vendors; (vi) the diversion of management time on issues related to the Mergers; and (vii) other factors which Catalyst discusses or refers to in its reports (such as the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K) and other subsequent filings with the SEC, which are available on Catalyst’s website or at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on any forward-looking statement as a prediction of future events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, Catalyst expressly disclaims any obligation to update its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the proposed transaction or other matters attributable to Catalyst or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above.

ITEM 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

The following exhibits are included herein:


Exhibit Number		Description
99.1		Press Release, dated June 26, 2026
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File. Embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

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 hereunto duly authorized.


		CATALYST BANCORP, INC.

Date:	June 26, 2026	By:	/s/ Joseph B. Zanco
			Joseph B. Zanco
			President and Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 99.1

For more information:

Catalyst Bancorp, Inc.

Joe Zanco, President and CEO

(337) 948-3033

Lakeside Bancshares, Inc.

Roy Raftery, President and CEO

(337) 474-3766

For Immediate Release

Release Date: June 26, 2026

Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. and Lakeside Bancshares, Inc. Announce

Shareholder and Regulatory Approvals for Pending Mergers

Opelousas, Louisiana – Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: “CLST”) (“Catalyst”), the parent company for Catalyst Bank (www.catalystbank.com), and Lakeside Bancshares, Inc. (OTC Markets: “LKSB”) (“Lakeside”), the parent company for Lakeside Bank, announced today that Lakeside shareholders have approved the pending merger with Catalyst and all required regulatory approvals have been obtained with respect to the previously announced mergers.

The mergers are expected to close on or about July 14, 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions.

About Catalyst Bancorp, Inc.

Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLST) is a Louisiana corporation and registered bank holding company for Catalyst Bank, its wholly-owned subsidiary, with $288.5 million in assets at March 31, 2026. Catalyst Bank, formerly St. Landry Homestead Federal Savings Bank, has been in operation in the Acadiana region of south-central Louisiana since 1922. With a focus on fueling business and improving lives throughout the region, Catalyst Bank offers commercial and retail banking products through our six full-service branches located in Carencro, Eunice, Lafayette, Opelousas, and Port Barre. To learn more about Catalyst Bancorp and Catalyst Bank, visit www.catalystbank.com, or the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission, www.sec.gov.

About Lakeside

Lakeside Bancshares, Inc. is a Louisiana corporation and registered bank holding company for Lakeside Bank, its wholly-owned subsidiary. Lakeside Bank is a Louisiana banking corporation and began operations on July 10, 2010 as a full-service financial institution. In February 2018, Lakeside Bancshares, Inc. (OTC Markets: “LKSB”) was formed for the purpose of becoming the holding company of Lakeside Bank by a stock exchange.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains, and the officers and directors of Catalyst and its subsidiary may from time to time make, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are typically identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “target,” “forecast,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

Catalyst cautions readers that any forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements about the benefits of the proposed mergers involving Catalyst and Lakeside and their subsidiaries, including future financial and operating results; statements about Catalyst’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; statements about the expected timing of completion of the proposed mergers; and other statements that are not historical facts. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: (i) the risk that a condition to closing may not be satisfied; (ii) the timing to consummate the proposed mergers; (iii) the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; (iv) the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the proposed merger may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; (v) disruption from the proposed mergers making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or vendors; (vi) the diversion of management time on issues related to the mergers; and (vii) other factors which Catalyst discusses or refers to in its reports (such as the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K) and other subsequent filings with the SEC, which are available on Catalyst’s website or at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Source: View Original Filing on SEC EDGAR

FAQ

What did Catalyst Bancorp (CLST) announce about its merger with Lakeside Bancshares?

Catalyst Bancorp announced that Lakeside Bancshares shareholders approved the pending merger and all required regulatory approvals have been obtained. The mergers will combine Lakeside into Catalyst and Lakeside Bank into Catalyst Bank, with Catalyst and Catalyst Bank remaining as the surviving entities.

When are the Catalyst Bancorp and Lakeside Bancshares mergers expected to close?

The mergers are expected to close on or about July 14, 2026, subject to satisfaction or waiver of remaining closing conditions in the April 7, 2026 merger agreement among Catalyst, Catalyst Bank, Lakeside and Lakeside Bank.

What type of companies are Catalyst Bancorp (CLST) and Lakeside Bancshares (LKSB)?

Catalyst Bancorp and Lakeside Bancshares are both Louisiana corporations and registered bank holding companies. Catalyst Bancorp owns Catalyst Bank, while Lakeside Bancshares owns Lakeside Bank, each operating as a full-service financial institution in their respective markets.

How large is Catalyst Bancorp as described in this 8-K filing?

Catalyst Bancorp is described as a bank holding company with $288.5 million in assets at March 31, 2026. Catalyst Bank operates six full-service branches in the Acadiana region of south-central Louisiana, offering commercial and retail banking products.

What risks and uncertainties are highlighted regarding the Catalyst and Lakeside mergers?

The forward-looking statements highlight risks such as conditions to closing not being satisfied, timing to consummate the mergers, challenges integrating the businesses, realizing cost savings and synergies, potential disruption to customer and vendor relationships, and diversion of management time to merger-related issues.

Where can investors find more information about Catalyst Bancorp (CLST) and the mergers?

Investors can review Catalyst Bancorp’s reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other SEC filings available on Catalyst’s website and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov for additional information about the company and the mergers.

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents

Press Releases

EX-99.1 EX-99.1 11.3 KB

Lakeside merger with Catalyst Bancorp (Nasdaq: CLST) cleared to close

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

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