Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Stockholders' Equity
Stockholders' Equity	*(9)* *Stockholders’ Equity* On April 18, 2007, our board of directors approved our twelfth stock repurchase plan authorizing the purchase of 10,000,000 shares, or approximately 10% of our common stock then outstanding in open-market or privately negotiated transactions. At December 31, 2012, a maximum of 8,107,300 shares may yet be purchased under this plan. However, we are not currently repurchasing additional shares of our common stock and have not since the 2008 third quarter. We have filed automatic shelf registration statements on Form S-3 with the SEC, which allow us to periodically offer and sell, from time to time, in one or more offerings, individually or in any combination, common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, capital securities, guarantees, warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock and units consisting of one or more of the foregoing. The shelf registration statements provide us with greater capital management flexibility and enable us to more readily access the capital markets in order to pursue growth opportunities that may become available to us in the future or should there be any changes in the regulatory environment that call for increased capital requirements. Although the shelf registration statements do not limit the amount of the foregoing items that we may offer and sell, our ability and any decision to do so is subject to market conditions and our capital needs. We have a dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan, or the Plan. Pursuant to the Plan, 300,000 shares of authorized and unissued common shares are reserved for use by the Plan, should the need arise. To date, all shares required by the Plan have been acquired in open market purchases. We are subject to the laws of the State of Delaware which generally limit dividends to an amount equal to the excess of our net assets (the amount by which total assets exceed total liabilities) over our statutory capital, or if there is no such excess, to our net profits for the current and/or immediately preceding fiscal year. We are also required to seek the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or FRB, in accordance with guidelines established by the FRB, prior to declaring a dividend. Our ability to pay dividends, service our debt obligations and repurchase our common stock is dependent primarily upon receipt of dividend payments from Astoria Federal. Our primary banking regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, regulates all capital distributions by Astoria Federal directly or indirectly to us, including dividend payments. Astoria Federal must file an application to receive approval from the OCC for a proposed capital distribution if the total amount of all capital distributions (including each proposed capital distribution) for the applicable calendar year exceeds net income for that year-to-date plus the retained net income for the preceding two years. During 2012, Astoria Federal was required to file such applications, all of which were approved. Astoria Federal may not pay dividends to us if: (1) after paying those dividends, it would fail to meet applicable regulatory capital requirements; (2) the payment would violate any statute, regulation, regulatory agreement or condition; or (3) after making such distribution, the institution would become “undercapitalized” (as such term is used in the Federal Deposit Insurance Act). Payment of dividends by Astoria Federal also may be restricted at any time at the discretion of the OCC if it deems the payment to constitute an unsafe and unsound banking practice. Astoria Federal must also receive approval from the FRB before declaring a dividend. Astoria Federal paid dividends to Astoria Financial Corporation totaling $40.8 million during 2012.

(9) Stockholders’ Equity

On April 18, 2007, our board of directors approved our twelfth stock repurchase plan authorizing the purchase of 10,000,000 shares, or approximately 10% of our common stock then outstanding in open-market or privately negotiated transactions. At December 31, 2012, a maximum of 8,107,300 shares may yet be purchased under this plan. However, we are not currently repurchasing additional shares of our common stock and have not since the 2008 third quarter.

We have filed automatic shelf registration statements on Form S-3 with the SEC, which allow us to periodically offer and sell, from time to time, in one or more offerings, individually or in any combination, common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, capital securities, guarantees, warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock and units consisting of one or more of the foregoing. The shelf registration statements provide us with greater capital management flexibility and enable us to more readily access the capital markets in order to pursue growth opportunities that may become available to us in the future or should there be any changes in the regulatory environment that call for increased capital requirements. Although the shelf registration statements do not limit the amount of the foregoing items that we may offer and sell, our ability and any decision to do so is subject to market conditions and our capital needs.

We have a dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan, or the Plan. Pursuant to the Plan, 300,000 shares of authorized and unissued common shares are reserved for use by the Plan, should the need arise. To date, all shares required by the Plan have been acquired in open market purchases.

We are subject to the laws of the State of Delaware which generally limit dividends to an amount equal to the excess of our net assets (the amount by which total assets exceed total liabilities) over our statutory capital, or if there is no such excess, to our net profits for the current and/or immediately preceding fiscal year. We are also required to seek the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or FRB, in accordance with guidelines established by the FRB, prior to declaring a dividend. Our ability to pay dividends, service our debt obligations and repurchase our common stock is dependent primarily upon receipt of dividend payments from Astoria Federal. Our primary banking regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, regulates all capital distributions by Astoria Federal directly or indirectly to us, including dividend payments. Astoria Federal must file an application to receive approval from the OCC for a proposed capital distribution if the total amount of all capital distributions (including each proposed capital distribution) for the applicable calendar year exceeds net income for that year-to-date plus the retained net income for the preceding two years. During 2012, Astoria Federal was required to file such applications, all of which were approved. Astoria Federal may not pay dividends to us if: (1) after paying those dividends, it would fail to meet applicable regulatory capital requirements; (2) the payment would violate any statute, regulation, regulatory agreement or condition; or (3) after making such distribution, the institution would become “undercapitalized” (as such term is used in the Federal Deposit Insurance Act). Payment of dividends by Astoria Federal also may be restricted at any time at the discretion of the OCC if it deems the payment to constitute an unsafe and unsound banking practice. Astoria Federal must also receive approval from the FRB before declaring a dividend. Astoria Federal paid dividends to Astoria Financial Corporation totaling $40.8 million during 2012.