OceanFirst CEO exercises 59,677 stock options

OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP Chairman and CEO Christopher Maher reported option exercises and related share withholdings.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP Chairman and CEO Christopher Maher reported option exercises and related share withholdings. He exercised stock options covering 59,677 shares at $17.28 per share, receiving an equal number of common shares and increasing his direct holdings to 399,830 shares before tax actions.

To cover taxes and/or exercise costs, 55,172 common shares were disposed of at $19.71 per share through a tax-withholding disposition, leaving 344,658 shares held directly. He also reports additional indirect common stock holdings through a 401(k) plan, an ESOP, and his spouse, and continuing stock option positions. Footnotes state that increases in beneficial ownership result from exempt acquisitions under Rule 16b-3(c) and that totals include unvested restricted stock.

Insights

Equity compensation and governance analyst

CEO exercised options and withheld shares for taxes, a routine equity-compensation event.

The filing shows Christopher Maher, Chairman and CEO of OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP, exercising options for 59,677 shares at $17.28 and receiving common stock. This is coded as an exempt acquisition under Rule 16b-3(c), a standard mechanism for board-approved equity awards.

A separate transaction disposes of 55,172 shares at $19.71 via tax-withholding, not an open-market sale. After these moves, he continues to hold 344,658 common shares directly, plus indirect stakes through a 401(k), ESOP, and spouse. Overall, this looks like routine compensation management rather than a directional bet on the stock, so the informational impact is limited.

Insider Trade Summary

59,677 shares exercised/converted

Exercise 10 txns

Insider Maher Christopher

Role Chairman and CEO

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Exercise	Stock Option (right to buy)	59,677	$17.28	$1.03M
Exercise	Common Stock	59,677	$17.28	$1.03M
Exercise Price or Tax Liability	Common Stock	55,172	$19.71	$1.09M
holding	Stock Option (right to buy)	--	--	--
holding	Stock Option (right to buy)	--	--	--
holding	Stock Option (right to buy)	--	--	--
holding	Stock Option (right to buy)	--	--	--
holding	Common Stock	--	--	--
holding	Common Stock	--	--	--
holding	Common Stock	--	--	--

Holdings After Transaction: Stock Option (right to buy) — 374,115 contracts (Direct); Common Stock — 344,658 shares (Direct); Common Stock — 28,156 shares (Indirect, By 401(k) Plan); Common Stock — 6,457 shares (Indirect, By ESOP); Common Stock — 5,000 shares (Indirect, By Spouse)

Footnotes (2)

1. F1. Total includes shares of restricted Common stock that have not yet vested.
2. F2. This form reflects increases in beneficial ownership resulting from exempt acquisitions pursuant to Rule 16b-3(c).

FAQ

What insider transactions did OCFC Chairman and CEO Christopher Maher report?

Christopher Maher reported exercising stock options for 59,677 shares and receiving the same number of common shares. He also reported a related disposition of 55,172 common shares as a tax-withholding transaction, which covered taxes or exercise costs rather than an open-market sale.

How many OceanFirst (OCFC) shares does Christopher Maher own after this Form 4?

After these transactions, Christopher Maher directly owns 344,658 common shares of OceanFirst Financial Corp. He also reports additional indirect ownership through a 401(k) plan, an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), and his spouse, along with outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock.

Was Christopher Maher’s OceanFirst (OCFC) share disposition an open-market sale?

No. The 55,172-share disposition is coded as transaction type F, meaning shares were withheld to pay the option exercise price or satisfy tax liabilities. This indicates a tax-withholding disposition, not a discretionary open-market sale of OceanFirst common stock by the CEO.

At what prices did the OCFC CEO’s reported transactions occur?

The CEO exercised stock options at an exercise price of $17.28 per share for 59,677 shares. The related tax-withholding disposition of 55,172 common shares was reported at a price of $19.71 per share, reflecting the value used to cover taxes or exercise-related obligations.

Are Christopher Maher’s OceanFirst (OCFC) transactions exempt under SEC rules?

Yes. A footnote explains that the increases in beneficial ownership result from exempt acquisitions under SEC Rule 16b-3(c). This rule typically applies to board-approved equity compensation transactions, such as option exercises and related stock grants to executives and directors.

What other OceanFirst (OCFC) equity holdings does the CEO report?

Beyond 344,658 directly held common shares, Christopher Maher reports indirect holdings via a 401(k) plan, an ESOP, and his spouse. He also lists several outstanding stock option positions, and a footnote notes that his reported totals include restricted common stock that has not yet vested.

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 02/18/2026 - 03:07 PM Learn about SEC filing dates

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED 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^*

Maher Christopher

(Last) (First) (Middle)

110 WEST FRONT STREET

(Street)

RED BANK NJ 07701

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP [ OCFC ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chairman and CEO

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/17/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

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)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	02/17/2026		M		59,677	A	$17.28	399,830	D(1)
Common Stock	02/17/2026		F		55,172	D	$19.71	344,658	D(1)
Common Stock								28,156	I	By 401(k) Plan(2)
Common Stock								6,457	I	By ESOP(2)
Common Stock								5,000	I	By Spouse

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)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (right to buy)	$17.28	02/17/2026		M			59,677	03/01/2017	03/16/2026	Common Stock	59,677	$17.28	0	D
Stock Option (right to buy)	$29.01							03/01/2018	03/15/2027	Common Stock	73,400		73,400	D
Stock Option (right to buy)	$27.4							03/01/2019	01/24/2028	Common Stock	25,275		25,275	D
Stock Option (right to buy)	$25.2							03/01/2020	03/01/2029	Common Stock	109,060		109,060	D
Stock Option (right to buy)	$20.44							03/01/2021	03/01/2030	Common Stock	166,380		166,380	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Total includes shares of restricted Common stock that have not yet vested.

2. This form reflects increases in beneficial ownership resulting from exempt acquisitions pursuant to Rule 16b-3(c).

Remarks:

	/s/ Steven J. Tsimbinos, Power of Attorney	02/18/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
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.