Why did Catalyst Bancorp pause its share repurchases in early 2026?

The company paused repurchases while conducting merger-related due diligence and negotiations surrounding the acquisition of Lakeside Bancshares, which closed on July 14, 2026. This is a standard practice to avoid conflicts during active M&A transactions.

How many shares remain under Catalyst's current buyback authorization?

As of June 30, 2026, 148,091 shares remained available for repurchase under the November 2025 Repurchase Plan, which authorizes purchases of up to 205,000 shares (approximately 5% of outstanding common stock).

What is the total impact of Catalyst's buyback program since 2023?

Since announcing its first repurchase plan on January 26, 2023 through June 30, 2026, Catalyst has repurchased 1,255,909 shares—24% of originally issued shares—at an average cost of $12.19 per share, reducing outstanding share count from approximately 5.3 million to 4.0 million shares.

How does the Q2 2026 repurchase price compare to the company's historical average?

The Q2 average price of $16.20 per share is 33% above the historical average cost of $12.19 since the program's inception. This reflects appreciation in the stock price over the three-year period.

What is the execution mechanism for Catalyst's repurchases?

The filing does not specify whether repurchases are conducted under Rule 10b-18 open-market purchases, a 10b5-1 plan, or another mechanism.

CLST 8-K Filed 2026-07-30 Execution disclosure

Catalyst Bancorp repurchased 24.2K shares at $16.20 average in Q2 2026

Company resumed buybacks post-Lakeside merger; 148K shares remain under November 2025 authorization

Shares repurchased24K

Avg price paid$16.20

MechanismNot specified

What the filing says

Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLST) repurchased 24,206 shares of its common stock at an average cost per share of $16.20 during the second quarter of 2026, according to a press release filed with the SEC. This compares to 16,614 shares repurchased in the first quarter of 2026 at an average cost of $15.71 per share. The Company paused share repurchases while conducting merger-related due diligence and negotiations surrounding the July 14, 2026 acquisition of Lakeside Bancshares, Inc.

The Q2 2026 repurchases were executed under the Company's sixth share repurchase plan, announced in the fourth quarter of 2025 (the "November 2025 Repurchase Plan"). This plan authorizes the Company to purchase up to 205,000 shares, or approximately 5% of outstanding common stock. As of June 30, 2026, 148,091 shares remained available for repurchase under this authorization.

Since announcing its first share repurchase plan on January 26, 2023 through June 30, 2026, Catalyst Bancorp has repurchased a cumulative total of 1,255,909 shares of common stock, representing 24% of the originally issued shares, at an average cost per share of $12.19. The company had 4,034,091 common shares outstanding at quarter-end.

The Company repurchased 24,206 shares of its common stock at an average cost per share of $16.20 during the second quarter of 2026, compared to 16,614 shares at an average cost per share of $15.71 during the first quarter of 2026. The Company paused share repurchases while conducting merger-related due diligence and negotiations. — Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. 8-K filing · View on SEC EDGAR →

What this means

Catalyst Bancorp resumed its ongoing buyback program after pausing repurchases during the Lakeside merger process completed in July 2026. The Q2 execution of 24.2K shares at $16.20 represents a modest acceleration from Q1's pace, indicating the company has resumed capital return activity post-transaction. With 148K shares remaining under the November 2025 authorization (out of 205K authorized), the company maintains flexibility for continued repurchases. Since initiating buybacks in early 2023, the company has retired 1.26 million shares—equivalent to 24% of originally issued shares—at an average cost of $12.19, steadily reducing outstanding share count.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Catalyst Bancorp pause its share repurchases in early 2026?: The company paused repurchases while conducting merger-related due diligence and negotiations surrounding the acquisition of Lakeside Bancshares, which closed on July 14, 2026. This is a standard practice to avoid conflicts during active M&A transactions.
How many shares remain under Catalyst's current buyback authorization?: As of June 30, 2026, 148,091 shares remained available for repurchase under the November 2025 Repurchase Plan, which authorizes purchases of up to 205,000 shares (approximately 5% of outstanding common stock).
What is the total impact of Catalyst's buyback program since 2023?: Since announcing its first repurchase plan on January 26, 2023 through June 30, 2026, Catalyst has repurchased 1,255,909 shares—24% of originally issued shares—at an average cost of $12.19 per share, reducing outstanding share count from approximately 5.3 million to 4.0 million shares.
How does the Q2 2026 repurchase price compare to the company's historical average?: The Q2 average price of $16.20 per share is 33% above the historical average cost of $12.19 since the program's inception. This reflects appreciation in the stock price over the three-year period.
What is the execution mechanism for Catalyst's repurchases?: The filing does not specify whether repurchases are conducted under Rule 10b-18 open-market purchases, a 10b5-1 plan, or another mechanism.

execution Q2-2026 small-cap bank post-merger share-count-reduction

Source. This editorial summary is based on the SEC filing linked above. BuybackStocks aggregates and editorializes publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. Not investment advice. Past authorization announcements do not guarantee future repurchase activity or share price performance. See our full disclosures policy.