Merger progress: Corebridge Financial (CRBD) says regulatory filings on track

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Corebridge Financial, Inc. says it is making progress toward closing a proposed merger with Equitable Holdings, Inc., stating regulatory filings remain on track and that leadership for the combined company will be announced shortly. The company also notes a newly established integration management office is working on transition planning. The transaction is described as "transformative" and is subject to requisite stockholder, stock exchange, regulatory, governmental or other approvals.

Insights

M&A Strategist

Merger integration work is underway, but outcomes depend on approvals and execution.

The communication highlights active integration planning via an integration management office and a finalized leadership plan pending announcement. These are operational steps that typically accompany transactions moving toward close and can reduce execution risk if effectively staffed.

Key dependencies are the series of approvals and successful integration execution; timing and realization of stated benefits remain contingent on those factors and on future disclosures in the Form S-4 and joint proxy statement/prospectus.

Regulatory & Securities Counsel

Regulatory and disclosure steps are progressing, with formal filings and proxy materials expected.

The excerpt explicitly references an intended Registration Statement on Form S-4 and a definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus to be mailed after the registration statement is declared effective. It urges reading those materials for risks and details.

Material closing conditions listed include requisite stockholder, stock exchange, regulatory, governmental or other approvals; readers should review the Form S-4 and related filings for specific risk factors and transaction mechanics.

Key Terms

Registration Statement on Form S-4, joint proxy statement/prospectus, forward-looking statements, proxy solicitation

4 terms

Registration Statement on Form S-4 regulatory

"The Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed by the new parent company"

A registration statement on Form S-4 is a formal filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission used when a company issues shares or other securities as part of a merger, acquisition, exchange offer or similar corporate deal. It bundles the transaction terms, financial statements, risk factors and shareholder vote materials so investors can assess the deal; think of it as a detailed prospectus or buyer’s packet that explains what you would own and how the deal could change your stake.

joint proxy statement/prospectus regulatory

"The Registration Statement will include a joint proxy statement of the Company and Equitable Holdings"

A joint proxy statement/prospectus is a single, combined document that both asks shareholders to vote on a proposed transaction and provides the detailed information required when new securities are being offered. Think of it as a combined ballot and product brochure that explains the deal, the companies’ finances, key risks and how ownership will change. Investors rely on it to understand the terms, evaluate risks and make informed voting and investment decisions.

forward-looking statements financial

"This communication includes statements... that constitute "forward-looking statements""

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.

proxy solicitation regulatory

"may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders"

Proxy solicitation is the process of asking shareholders for permission to vote their shares on corporate matters, usually by sending voting forms or requests by mail, email or phone. Investors should watch proxy solicitations because they signal attempts to change control, influence board elections or approve big deals — like neighbors organizing votes on a shared building project — and the outcome can materially affect a company’s strategy and stock value.

FILED BY COREBRIDGE FINANCIAL, INC.

COMMISSION FILE NO.: 001-41504

PURSUANT TO RULE 425 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED

AND DEEMED FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 14a–12 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE OF 1934, AS AMENDED

SUBJECT COMPANY: COREBRIDGE FINANCIAL, INC. AND EQUITABLE HOLDINGS, INC.

Excerpt from Corebridge Financial, Inc. Press Release Regarding Announcement of First Quarter 2026 Results

“We are making excellent progress toward closing our transformative merger with Equitable, a deal that will enhance our scale, diversification, and cash generation. Regulatory filings remain on track, and our leadership team for the combined company is finalized and will be announced shortly. Furthermore, our newly established integration management office is already hard at work to ensure a seamless transition for all stakeholders.”

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This communication includes statements, which, to the extent they are not statements of historical or present fact, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, and any related oral statements, can be identified by the use of terms such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seeks,” “aims,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “targets,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “goals,” “guidance,” “formidable,” “preliminary,” “objective,” “continue,” “drive,” “improve,” “superior,” “robust,” “positioned,” “resilient,” “vision,” “potential,” “immediate,” and similar expressions or the negative of those expressions or verbs. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only our beliefs regarding future events, which may by their nature be inherently uncertain, and some of which may be outside our control. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the potential repurchases of shares of common stock, statements about the expected timing and completion of the proposed transaction between the Corebridge Financial, Inc. (the “Company”) and Equitable Holdings, Inc. (“Equitable Holdings”) (the Proposed Transaction), the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transaction, including estimated synergies and projected cost savings, and plans and expectations for the Company, Equitable Holdings or their new parent company after completion of the Proposed Transaction.

Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors include, among others, the ability to repurchase shares (if the Company decides to do so) within the expected timing or at all; the ability to complete the Proposed Transaction on the timeframe or on the terms currently anticipated or at all, including due to a failure to obtain requisite stockholder, stock exchange, regulatory, governmental or other approvals; risks related to difficulties, inabilities or delays in integrating the parties’ businesses; the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transaction, including estimated run-rate expense synergies and projected cost savings at the times, and to the extent, anticipated, as well as expected operating earnings and cashflow generation; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the right of either or both parties to terminate the merger agreement; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Proposed Transaction on the Company or Equitable Holdings’ stock price and on their respective business, contractual and operational relationships (including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, clients and competitors); risks related to business disruptions from the Proposed Transaction that may harm the business or current plans and operations of either or both parties, including diversion of management time from ongoing business operations; the risk that the Proposed Transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of either or both parties to hire and retain key personnel; the parties’ ability to raise debt on favorable terms or at all; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company, Equitable Holdings, their new parent company or their respective directors; restrictions on the conduct of the Company and Equitable Holdings’ respective businesses prior to Closing and on each of their ability to pursue alternatives to the Proposed Transaction; the possibility that the Proposed Transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events, or unforeseen or unknown liabilities; the deterioration of economic conditions; geopolitical tensions; the potential impact of a downgrade in the Company or Equitable Holdings’ Insurer Financial Strength ratings or credit ratings or of the new parent company of the Company and Equitable Holdings following completion of the Proposed Transaction; other factors that may affect future results of the Company and Equitable Holdings; and management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider these factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the new parent company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 and other documents filed or furnished by the Company and Equitable Holdings from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including their Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. These filings 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 the Company nor Equitable Holdings presently know or that the Company and Equitable Holdings currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect the Company and Equitable Holdings’ expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. The Company and Equitable Holdings anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company and Equitable Holdings’ assessments to change. While the Company and Equitable Holdings may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company and Equitable Holdings specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, unless required by applicable law. Neither the Company nor Equitable Holdings gives any assurance that the Company, Equitable Holdings or their new parent company will achieve the results or other matters set forth in the forward-looking statements.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Important Information and Where to Find It

This communication relates to the Proposed Transaction that may become the subject of a Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed by the new parent company with the SEC. The Registration Statement will include a joint proxy statement of the Company and Equitable Holdings that will also constitute a prospectus of the new parent company. After the Registration Statement has been declared effective, the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the stockholders of each of the Company and Equitable Holdings. This communication is not a substitute for the Registration Statement that the new parent company intends to file with the SEC or any other documents that may be sent to the Company’s stockholders or Equitable Holdings’ stockholders in connection with the Proposed Transaction.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH, OR FURNISHED TO, THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY, EQUITABLE HOLDINGS, THEIR NEW PARENT COMPANY, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS.

Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents and other documents filed with the SEC by the Company or Equitable Holdings through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov or from the Company at its website, https://www.corebridgefinancial.com, or from Equitable Holdings at its website, https://equitableholdings.com (information included on or accessible through either of the Company or Equitable Holdings’ website is not incorporated by reference into this communication).

Participants in the Solicitation

The Company and Equitable Holdings and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders or Equitable Holdings’ stockholders in connection with the Proposed Transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 16, 2025, including under the headings “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Compensation Tables” and “Security Ownership of 5% Beneficial Owners, Directors and Executive Officers.” To the extent holdings of the Company’s common stock by the directors and executive officers of the Company have changed or do change from the amounts of the Company’s common stock held by such persons as reflected therein, such changes have been or will be reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3 (“Form 3”), Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4 (“Form 4”) or Annual Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 5 (“Form 5”), in each case filed with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Equitable Holdings, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Equitable Holdings’ definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 4, 2025, including under the headings “Executive Compensation” and “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions.” To the extent holdings of Equitable Holdings’ common stock by the directors and executive officers of Equitable Holdings have changed or do change from the amounts of Equitable Holdings’ common stock held by such persons as reflected therein, such changes have been or will be reflected on Forms 3, Forms 4 or Forms 5, in each case filed with the SEC. Other information regarding persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the proxy solicitation of the Company or Equitable Holdings’ stockholders in connection with the Proposed Transaction and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the Registration Statement. You may obtain free copies of these documents at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by the Company or Equitable Holdings will also be available free of charge from the Company or Equitable Holdings using the contact information above.

FAQ

What did Corebridge (CRBD) announce about the merger with Equitable?

Corebridge stated it is progressing toward closing a proposed merger with Equitable. The company says regulatory filings are on track, leadership for the combined company will be announced shortly, and an integration management office is already active on transition planning.

Has Corebridge filed the formal transaction documents for the merger?

Corebridge indicated the transaction will be the subject of a Registration Statement on Form S-4. The joint proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed after the registration statement is declared effective, per the communication.

Are the expected benefits and synergies quantified in the statement?

No specific synergy or cost-savings amounts are provided in this excerpt. The statement refers generally to "anticipated benefits," and directs readers to the Form S-4 and joint proxy statement/prospectus for detailed information and risk factors.

What approvals are required before the merger can close?

The communication says the Proposed Transaction is subject to requisite stockholder, stock exchange, regulatory, governmental or other approvals. These approvals are listed as conditions that could affect timing or completion.

Where can investors find full details about the merger and risks?

Investors are directed to review the Registration Statement on Form S-4 and the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus. Copies will be available free at the SEC website and on the companies' websites once filed and declared effective.