8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC

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): September 14, 2023

OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-11713	22-3412577
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File No.)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

110 West Front Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(732)240-4500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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:

☐ 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	Name of each exchange in which registered
Common stock, $0.01 par value per share	OCFC	NASDAQ
Depositary Shares (each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of 7.0% Series A Non-Cumulative, perpetual preferred stock)	OCFCP	NASDAQ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2).

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

OceanFirst Financial Corp. (the “Company”) expects an increase in third quarter charge-offs arising from a $17 million, or 17%, participation in a $98 million credit to a borrower managed by a real estate fund. The credit was originated in June 2019 and is secured by an office building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The credit matured during the third quarter, was placed on non-accrual status, and will be included in non-performing assets as of September 30, 2023. While the Company continues to finalize its estimates, at this time, the Company expects the charge-off to be 45% to 50% of the Company’s total exposure. Any future recoveries cannot be reasonably predicted.

The credit represents 13% of the Company’s $130 million portfolio of loans secured by office buildings located in central business districts as of August 31, 2023. Due to stress in this asset class, the Company is continually evaluating this portfolio and currently is not aware of other material losses within this portfolio.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS.

In addition to historical information, this current report contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “will,” “should,” “may,” “view,” “opportunity,” “potential,” or similar expressions or expressions of confidence. The Company’s ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries include, but are not limited to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on our operations and financial results and those of our customers, changes in interest rates, inflation, general economic conditions, potential recessionary conditions, levels of unemployment in the Bank’s lending area, real estate market values in the Bank’s lending area, future natural disasters, potential increases to flood insurance premiums, the current or anticipated impact of military conflict, terrorism or other geopolitical events, the level of prepayments on loans and mortgage-backed securities, legislative/regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the quality or composition of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, deposit flows, changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of the Company’s deposit portfolio, including the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio, competition, demand for financial services in the Company’s market area, changes in consumer spending, borrowing and saving habits, changes in accounting principles, a failure in or breach of the Company’s operational or security systems or infrastructure, including cyberattacks, the failure to maintain current technologies, failure to retain or attract employees and the Bank’s ability to successfully integrate acquired operations. These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, under Item 1A - Risk Factors and elsewhere, and subsequent securities filings and should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

ITEM 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Not applicable.

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.

		OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP.
Dated:	September 14, 2023	/s/ Patrick S. Barrett
		Patrick S. Barrett
		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

XML

Document and Entity Information	Sep. 14, 2023
Entity Information [Line Items]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Sep. 14, 2023
Entity Registrant Name	OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	001-11713
Entity Tax Identification Number	22-3412577
Entity Address, Address Line One	110 West Front Street
Entity Address, City or Town	Red Bank
Entity Address, State or Province	NJ
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	07701
City Area Code	732
Local Phone Number	240-4500
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Central Index Key	0001004702
Amendment Flag	false
Common Stock
Entity Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, $0.01 par value per share
Trading Symbol	OCFC
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Series A Preferred Stock
Entity Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Depositary Shares (each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of 7.0% Series A Non-Cumulative, perpetual preferred stock)
Trading Symbol	OCFCP
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ