Blue Foundry Bancorp Announces Adoption of Initial Stock Repurchase Program

Rhea-AI Summary

Blue Foundry Bancorp (NASDAQ: BLFY) announced a share repurchase program to buy back up to 2,852,250 shares, representing about 10% of its outstanding common stock. This marks the company's first repurchase initiative following its mutual-to-stock conversion in July 2021. The buybacks are slated to begin after the release of Q2 2022 results and will be conducted based on market conditions and the company's financial performance. CEO James D. Nesci emphasized the company's strong capital position, highlighting the strategic importance of share repurchases in reallocating excess capital.

Positive

• Launch of a share repurchase program for up to 2,852,250 shares, enhancing shareholder value.
• Repurchase program signifies confidence in company's financial stability and future prospects.

Negative

• None.

RUTHERFORD, N.J., July 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Foundry Bancorp (NASDAQ: BLFY), the holding company for Blue Foundry Bank, announced that it has adopted a program to repurchase up to 2,852,250 shares of its common stock, which is approximately 10% of its outstanding common stock. This is the Company’s first stock repurchase program since completing its mutual-to-stock conversion and related stock offering in July 2021.

Repurchases are expected to commence after the Company publicly releases its results of operations for the period ended June 30, 2022. Shares may be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades or pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The timing and amount of any repurchases will depend on a number of factors, including the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company’s financial performance. Open market purchases will be made in accordance with Rule 10b-18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. The Company is not obligated to repurchase any particular number of shares or any shares in any specific time period.

James D. Nesci, President and CEO of the Company, remarked that, “Share repurchases are an important tool that businesses have to reallocate excess capital. The Company is pleased to have a strong capital position giving it the ability to purchase stock.”

About Blue Foundry Bancorp

Blue Foundry Bancorp is the holding company for Blue Foundry Bank, a place where things are made, purpose is formed, and ideas are crafted. Dedicated to individual support, Blue Foundry Bank offers a comprehensive line of products and services including personal and business banking and lending, to support clients’ financial goals and investment for growth. With its Universal Bankers acting more as partners, the process will be less about banking and more about living. To learn more about Blue Foundry, go to www.bluefoundrybank.com or call our Customer Service Center at 1-888-931-BLUE.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which are based on certain current assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plan,” “potential,” “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “target” and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: conditions related to the recent global coronavirus outbreak that has and will continue to pose risks and could harm our business and results of operations; general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas, that are worse than expected; changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses; our ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in our market area; our ability to implement and change our business strategies; competition among depository and other financial institutions; inflation and changes in the interest rate environment that reduce our margins and yields, the fair value of financial instruments or our level of loan originations, or increase the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans we have made and make; adverse changes in the securities or secondary mortgage markets; changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including changes in regulatory fees, capital requirements and insurance premiums; changes in monetary or fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board; changes in the quality or composition of our loan or investment portfolios; technological changes that may be more difficult or expensive than expected; a failure or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, including cyber-attacks; the inability of third party providers to perform as expected; our ability to manage market risk, credit risk and operational risk in the current economic environment; our ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities; our ability to successfully integrate into our operations any assets, liabilities, customers, systems and management personnel we may acquire and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames and any goodwill charges related there to; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the bank regulatory agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; our ability to retain key employees; the ability of the U.S. Government to manage federal debt limits; and changes in the financial condition, results of operations or future prospects of issuers of securities that we own.

Except as required by applicable law or regulation, we do not undertake, and we specifically disclaim any obligation, to release publicly the results of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Contact Information

Elyse D. Beidner
Chief Legal Officer
BlueFoundryBank.com
ebeidner@bluefoundrybank.com
201-507-3216

FAQ

What is the purpose of Blue Foundry Bancorp's stock repurchase program?

The purpose of the stock repurchase program is to return excess capital to shareholders and enhance shareholder value.

How many shares is Blue Foundry Bancorp planning to repurchase?

Blue Foundry Bancorp plans to repurchase up to 2,852,250 shares, which is approximately 10% of its outstanding common stock.

When will Blue Foundry Bancorp commence the share repurchase program?

The share repurchases are expected to commence after the company publicly releases its Q2 2022 results.

What factors will influence the timing and amount of share repurchases by Blue Foundry Bancorp?

The timing and amount of share repurchases will depend on market conditions, trading price, availability of stock, and the company's financial performance.

What regulations will Blue Foundry Bancorp follow for the stock repurchase program?

The repurchase program will comply with SEC's Rule 10b-18 and other applicable legal requirements.