Raymond James Downgrades OceanFirst Financial to Market Perform
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 31 2025
0mins
Raymond James analyst Daniel Tamayo double downgraded OceanFirst Financial (OCFC) to Market Perform from Strong Buy without a price target following the company's announcement to acquire Flushing Financial (FFIC). The acquisition increases OceanFirst's presence in Long Island and Manhattan, leads to higher earnings forecasts, and was done at a at a fair price, the analyst tells investors in a research note. However, the firm expects "significant" dilution and says the deal slows the benefit of OceanFirst's shift to a stronger core deposit franchise. It also carries risk in maintaining bankers and the ability to lower funding costs in competitive markets, adds Raymond James.
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Analyst Views on FFIC
Wall Street analysts forecast FFIC stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for FFIC is 14.25 USD with a low forecast of 14.00 USD and a high forecast of 14.50 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
3 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 15.370
Low
14.00
Averages
14.25
High
14.50
Current: 15.370
Low
14.00
Averages
14.25
High
14.50
About FFIC
Flushing Financial Corporation is the holding company for Flushing Bank (the Bank). The Bank offers the products, services, and conveniences associated with large commercial banks, including a full complement of deposit, loan, equipment finance, and cash management services. The Bank's principal business is attracting retail deposits from the general public and investing those deposits together with funds generated from ongoing operations and borrowings, primarily in originations and purchases of multi-family residential properties loans, commercial business loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans and, to a lesser extent, one-to-four family loans; construction loans; small business administration (SBA) loans; mortgage loan surrogates, such as mortgage-backed securities; and United States government securities, corporate fixed-income securities and other marketable securities. The Bank also operates an Internet branch that operates under the brands of iGObanking.com and BankPurely.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Flushing Financial Q4 Results Miss Expectations Amid OceanFirst Acquisition
- Disappointing Earnings: Flushing Financial reported a Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.32, missing expectations by $0.03, indicating pressure on profitability that may affect investor confidence.
- Revenue Shortfall: The quarter's revenue of $58.81 million fell short of the anticipated $62.27 million, reflecting weak market demand that could lead to slowed future growth.
- M&A Activity: OceanFirst Financial announced its acquisition of Flushing Financial, raising $225 million to support the transaction, highlighting market consolidation trends and recognition of Flushing's assets.
- Loan Repricing Strategy: Flushing Financial outlines a $2 billion loan repricing plan through 2027 aimed at enhancing profitability while expanding its presence in the Asian market, indicating a strategic focus on future growth opportunities.
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Investor Rights Investigation: Multiple Company Transactions
- Legal Investigation Launched: Halper Sadeh LLC is investigating First Foundation Inc. (NYSE:FFWM) regarding its sale to FirstSun Capital Bancorp, which involves an exchange of 0.16083 shares of FirstSun common stock per share of First Foundation, potentially indicating breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders.
- Cash Acquisition Scrutiny: Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CWAN) is being sold to Permira and Warburg Pincus for $24.55 per share in cash, with Halper Sadeh LLC possibly seeking increased consideration for shareholders in this transaction.
- Shareholder Rights Protection: The sale of Flushing Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:FFIC) to OceanFirst Financial Corp. involves an exchange of 0.85 shares of OceanFirst common stock for each share of Flushing, prompting Halper Sadeh LLC to encourage shareholders to contact them to learn about their legal rights and options.
- Legal Fee Arrangement: Halper Sadeh LLC will handle these cases on a contingent fee basis, ensuring that shareholders are not responsible for any out-of-pocket legal fees or expenses, aiming to provide support for affected investors.
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