Allyson Katz Schlesinger, SEVP and Head of Consumer Banking at Columbia Financial, Inc./MD/ (NASDAQ:CLBK), filed a Form 4 on August 28, 2026, disclosing acquisitions of common stock on August 26, 2026, related to the company's Stock Based Deferral Plan and Savings Income Maintenance Plan.

Key Highlights

  • Phantom stock dividends: Schlesinger acquired 128.207 shares at $11.62 per share through the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan, described as exempt under Rule 16b-3.
  • SIM Plan dividends: An additional 44 shares were acquired at $11.62 per share through the Columbia Bank Savings Income Maintenance Plan, also described as exempt under Rule 16b-3.
  • Post-transaction indirect holdings: Following the reported transactions, Schlesinger held 29,923.612 shares indirectly through the Stock Based Deferral Plan and 10,347 shares indirectly through the SIM Plan.
  • Direct holdings: The filing lists 192,490 shares of common stock held directly.
  • Stock options: Schlesinger holds stock options to purchase a total of 483,713 shares of common stock across five separate grants with exercise prices ranging from $7.10 to $8.31.
  • Performance-based stock awards: Three tranches of unvested stock awards are reported, with the most recent vesting no earlier than March 2, 2029, contingent on achievement of specified performance-based criteria.

Schlesinger's Reported Holdings and Transactions at Columbia Financial

According to the filing, Allyson Katz Schlesinger, identified as SEVP and Head of Consumer Banking at Columbia Financial, Inc./MD/ (NASDAQ:CLBK), reported two acquisition transactions dated August 26, 2026. The first involved 128.207 phantom stock dividend shares credited through the Columbia Bank Stock Based Deferral Plan at a price of $11.62, bringing her indirect holdings through that plan to 29,923.612 shares. The second involved 44 shares acquired as dividends through the Columbia Bank Savings Income Maintenance Plan at the same price of $11.62, resulting in 10,347 shares held indirectly through that plan. Both transactions carry transaction code "A" and are described in the filing as exempt acquisitions under Rule 16b-3.

The filing also reflects other indirectly held positions, including 5,623 shares through a 401(k), 17,129 shares through an ESOP, and 15,753 shares through a SERP, with the filing noting these reflect increases in beneficial ownership from exempt acquisitions pursuant to Rule 16b-3(c). Three tranches of stock awards are reported: 25,343 shares under Stock Award III (noting a decrease of 1 share from the prior report due to rounding of fractional shares), 27,033 shares under Stock Award IV, and 27,662 shares under Stock Award V. Vesting for the latter two awards is contingent on performance-based criteria, with potential vesting dates of March 3, 2028 and March 2, 2029, respectively, according to the filing.

In Table II, the filing discloses five tranches of stock options to purchase common stock. Two grants, with exercise prices of $7.10 and $7.25, are described as fully vested and exercisable. The remaining three grants, with exercise prices of $7.50, $7.38, and $8.31, vest in three approximately equal annual installments commencing March 6, 2025, March 3, 2026, and March 2, 2027, respectively. The expiration dates on these options range from July 23, 2029 through March 2, 2036.

What Was Disclosed

Schlesinger's Form 4 disclosed two exempt acquisitions of Columbia Financial common stock on August 26, 2026, through dividend credits in company benefit plans, alongside a full accounting of existing direct holdings, indirect plan-held shares, unvested stock awards, and stock options.