STOCK TITAN

OceanFirst (OCFC) COO exercises 37,500 options, uses shares for taxes

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

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

OceanFirst Financial Corp. director and Senior EVP/COO Joseph Lebel III exercised stock options and settled related taxes in shares. He exercised 37,500 stock options at $17.28 per share, receiving the same number of common shares. To cover the exercise price or tax liability, he disposed of 34,460 common shares at $19.71 per share, a tax-withholding transaction rather than an open-market sale. After these moves, he directly owned 295,198 common shares, and continued to hold additional stock options and indirect interests through a 401(k), an ESOP, and his spouse. A footnote states the total includes restricted common stock not yet vested and that the changes reflect exempt acquisitions under Rule 16b-3(c).

Positive

  • None.

Negative

  • None.
Insider Lebel Joseph III
Role Senior EVP and COO
Type Security Shares Price Value
Exercise Stock Option (right to buy) 37,500 $17.28 $648K
Exercise Common Stock 37,500 $17.28 $648K
Tax Withholding Common Stock 34,460 $19.71 $679K
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) — 0 shares (Direct); Common Stock — 329,658 shares (Direct); Common Stock — 12,948 shares (Indirect, By 401(k))
Footnotes (1)
  1. Total includes shares of restricted Common stock that have not yet vested. This form reflects increases in beneficial ownership resulting from exempt acquisitions pursuant to Rule 16b-3(c).
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*
Lebel Joseph III

(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)
Senior EVP and COO
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 37,500 A $17.28 329,658 D(1)
Common Stock 02/17/2026 F 34,460 D $19.71 295,198 D(1)
Common Stock 12,948 I By 401(k)(2)
Common Stock 15,093 I By ESOP(2)
Common Stock 783 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 37,500 03/01/2017 03/16/2026 Common Stock 37,500 $17.28 0 D
Stock Option (right to buy) $29.01 03/15/2018 03/15/2027 Common Stock 45,000 45,000 D
Stock Option (right to buy) $27.4 03/01/2019 01/24/2028 Common Stock 15,485 15,485 D
Stock Option (right to buy) $25.2 03/01/2020 03/01/2029 Common Stock 100,670 100,670 D
Stock Option (right to buy) $20.44 03/01/2021 02/28/2030 Common Stock 153,585 153,585 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.

FAQ

What insider transactions did OCFC executive Joseph Lebel report?

Joseph Lebel reported an option exercise and a related tax-withholding share disposition. He exercised 37,500 stock options into common shares, then used 34,460 shares to cover the exercise price or tax liability, with both events occurring on February 17, 2026.

At what prices did the OCFC option exercise and tax withholding occur?

The option exercise occurred at $17.28 per share, converting options into 37,500 common shares. The tax-withholding disposition used 34,460 shares valued at $19.71 per share to satisfy the exercise price or related tax liability, according to the Form 4 disclosure.

How many OceanFirst (OCFC) shares does Joseph Lebel own after these transactions?

Following the reported transactions, Joseph Lebel directly owns 295,198 shares of OceanFirst common stock. He also has indirect holdings, including 12,948 shares through a 401(k), 15,093 shares through an ESOP, and 783 shares attributed to his spouse.

What type of Form 4 transaction codes were used in the OCFC filing?

The filing shows code M for the exercise or conversion of a derivative security and code F for payment of the exercise price or tax liability by delivering shares. Both codes indicate non-open-market events tied to an existing equity award program.

Are Joseph Lebel’s OCFC share increases exempt under Rule 16b-3(c)?

Yes. A footnote explains the Form 4 reflects increases in beneficial ownership from exempt acquisitions under Rule 16b-3(c). This rule generally covers equity grants or option exercises approved under qualifying compensation plans, limiting short-swing profit considerations for insiders.

Does the OCFC Form 4 include unvested restricted stock for Joseph Lebel?

The Form 4 notes that the reported total includes restricted common stock that has not yet vested. This means some of the shares reflected in his beneficial ownership are subject to vesting conditions under the company’s equity compensation arrangements.