Equitable Holdings (NYSE: EQH) weighs stock buybacks before Corebridge merger
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Equitable Holdings is considering repurchasing shares of its common stock before completing its pending merger with Corebridge Financial, which was announced on March 26, 2026. Any such buybacks would occur during the proxy process and remain fully at Equitable’s discretion.
The company would first need a waiver from Corebridge, because their merger agreement currently prohibits share repurchases while the deal is pending. Equitable emphasizes there is no assurance repurchases will occur, and if they do, the timing, amount, price and methods would be determined solely by the company.
The filing also includes extensive forward-looking statements language, highlighting risks that could affect both potential repurchases and completion or benefits of the proposed merger, including regulatory approvals, integration challenges, market conditions and other factors described in future SEC filings.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insights
Equitable signals flexibility to buy back shares before its Corebridge merger, but with no commitment or size disclosed.
Equitable Holdings states it is exploring repurchases of its common stock ahead of its pending merger with Corebridge Financial. Any buybacks would occur during the proxy statement/prospectus period and require a waiver from Corebridge because the current merger agreement restricts repurchases while the transaction is pending.
The disclosure does not specify any repurchase size, price range or timing, so the potential capital return remains conceptual rather than defined. The statement mainly informs investors that repurchases are being evaluated and could be layered around the deal process, while detailed forward-looking risk language underscores that both the merger and any buybacks are subject to multiple uncertainties.
Overall, this is a neutral update about possible capital allocation around a strategic merger, without concrete financial commitments yet. Future company filings describing an executed waiver or a specific repurchase authorization would provide clearer insight into actual capital deployment and its impact on per-share metrics.
8-K Event Classification
Key Terms
forward-looking statements regulatory
merger agreement regulatory
Registration Statement on Form S-4 regulatory
run-rate expense synergies financial
Insurer Financial Strength ratings financial
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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| Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure |
Equitable Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Equitable”), in consultation with representatives of Corebridge Financial, Inc. (“Corebridge”), is exploring undertaking repurchases of shares of its common stock prior to closing of the parties’ pending merger (announced March 26, 2026), including during the period from the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus relating to the parties’ pending merger until the commencement of mailing of such preliminary proxy statement/prospectus. If the Company were to determine to undertake such share repurchases, it would seek a waiver from Corebridge under the parties’ merger agreement of the provision thereunder prohibiting share repurchases during the pendency of the merger. There can be no assurance that the Company will determine to make such share repurchases during the above noted time period and if undertaken, the volume, pricing, timing and method of repurchases of shares of its common stock will be in the discretion of the Company.
As provided in General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information provided pursuant to this Item 7.01 shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This Current Report on Form 8-K 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 Equitable and Corebridge (the “Proposed Transaction”), the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transaction, including estimated synergies and projected cost savings, and plans and expectations for Equitable, Corebridge 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 Equitable 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 Equitable or Corebridge’s 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 Equitable, Corebridge, their new parent company or their respective directors; restrictions on the conduct of Equitable and Corebridge’s 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 Equitable or Corebridge’s Insurer Financial Strength ratings or credit ratings or of the new parent company of Equitable and Corebridge following completion of the Proposed Transaction; other factors that may affect future results of Equitable and Corebridge; and management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors.
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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 Equitable and Corebridge 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 Equitable nor Corebridge presently know or that Equitable and Corebridge 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 Equitable and Corebridge’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. Equitable and Corebridge anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause Equitable and Corebridge’s assessments to change. While Equitable and Corebridge may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Equitable and Corebridge specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, unless required by applicable law. Neither Equitable nor Corebridge gives any assurance that Equitable, Corebridge or their new parent company will achieve the results or other matters set forth in the forward-looking statements.
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SIGNATURES
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.
| Equitable Holdings, Inc. | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ralph Petruzzo | |||
| Name: | Ralph Petruzzo | |||
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Title: |
Deputy General Counsel |
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Date: April 15, 2026
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