Metropolitan Bank CFO Daniel Dougherty Purchases 1,000 Shares at $89.98

CFO's Share Purchase and Current Ownership Structure

Daniel F. Dougherty, who serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp., executed an open-market purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock on July 23, 2026. The transaction was completed at a per-share price of $89.98, representing a total investment of approximately $89,980 at the time of purchase. This acquisition reflects direct beneficial ownership and was reported by Dougherty in his individual capacity as a corporate officer subject to Section 16 beneficial ownership reporting requirements.

Following the completion of this transaction, Dougherty's total direct beneficial ownership of Metropolitan Bank common stock stands at 33,197 shares. In addition to these directly held shares, the filing indicates that Dougherty maintains an indirect beneficial interest of 571.695 shares held through a company-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan. The combination of direct and indirect holdings provides a snapshot of the CFO's financial stake in the institution as of the transaction date.

Restricted Stock Unit Grants and Vesting Schedule

The disclosure reveals that a significant portion of Dougherty's beneficial ownership comprises restricted stock units that have been granted to him as part of his executive compensation arrangements. According to the filing, Dougherty received restricted stock units on three separate occasions: March 1, 2024; March 1, 2025; and March 2, 2026. Each of these grants follows a standard vesting schedule whereby the units vest at a rate of 33.3 percent per year, providing Dougherty with phased equity participation over a three-year period from the date of each grant.

The March 1, 2024 grant commenced vesting on March 1, 2025, meaning that one-third of those units vested during the 2025 calendar year, with the remaining portions expected to vest in subsequent years. Similarly, the March 1, 2025 grant began its vesting schedule on March 1, 2026, while the most recent grant from March 2, 2026 will commence vesting on March 2, 2027. This tiered vesting structure is typical for equity-based compensation in the banking and financial services sector, aligning executive interests with long-term company performance and shareholder value creation.

Transaction Reporting and Regulatory Compliance

The purchase disclosed in this filing was reported on a Form 4 statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 27, 2026, four days after the transaction execution date of July 23, 2026. Form 4 filings are required under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for officers, directors, and principal shareholders of publicly traded companies to report changes in their beneficial ownership. The timely filing of this disclosure reflects Metropolitan Bank's compliance with federal securities regulations governing insider transactions.

The filing was executed by Zachary Levine, listed as attorney-in-fact for Dougherty, and carried the required certifications and statutory warnings regarding the accuracy and completeness of the information provided. Such filings are matters of public record and are available through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system, allowing investors and market participants to track insider trading activity at publicly traded companies.

Metropolitan Bank and the NYSE-Listed Institution

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp., which trades under the ticker MCB on the New York Stock Exchange, is based in New York with executive offices located at 99 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The institution operates as a holding company within the financial services sector and maintains listings and regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company's senior management team, including CFO Dougherty, is subject to comprehensive insider trading reporting requirements designed to promote transparency and accountability in the financial markets.

As a publicly traded financial institution, Metropolitan Bank's officers and directors must disclose significant changes in their ownership stakes, providing the investment community with visibility into management's personal financial commitments to the company. Such disclosures are considered by many investors and analysts as signals regarding management confidence in the institution's financial prospects and strategic direction. The timing and magnitude of insider purchases and sales are frequently monitored by market participants seeking to understand management perspectives on company valuation and performance outlook.

Significance of Officer-Level Share Acquisitions

The purchase of 1,000 additional shares by Dougherty, the company's Chief Financial Officer, represents a direct capital commitment by a senior executive responsible for Metropolitan Bank's financial management and strategy. As CFO, Dougherty holds responsibility for the company's financial planning, accounting, treasury operations, and investor communications. His decision to acquire additional shares at $89.98 per share may be viewed as a demonstration of confidence in the company's current valuation and future financial performance, though the filing itself contains no statements explaining the rationale or timing of the acquisition.

Insiders' personal investment decisions are frequently analyzed by investors as potential indicators of management sentiment regarding company prospects. However, such transactions may also reflect personal financial planning considerations, portfolio rebalancing needs, or participation in employee purchase plans rather than forward-looking views on company performance. The significance of any individual insider transaction must be considered within the broader context of the company's financial results, market conditions, and overall patterns of insider activity over time.

Impact on Beneficial Ownership and Control

With the acquisition of 1,000 shares, Dougherty's direct beneficial ownership increased from the previous level to 33,197 shares. While this represents a modest increase in the absolute number of shares held, the cumulative effect of executive equity holdings contributes to the alignment of management and shareholder interests that corporate governance frameworks are designed to achieve. The filing's detailed tracking of ownership levels, vesting schedules, and indirect holdings through retirement plans provides a comprehensive picture of the financial relationships between company leadership and shareholders.

The distinction between direct and indirect beneficial ownership is significant for regulatory and governance purposes. Direct ownership reflects shares held in Dougherty's personal name or accounts, while indirect ownership through the 401(k) plan represents an interest held through a retirement vehicle. Both categories are aggregated for beneficial ownership reporting purposes and trigger disclosure obligations when combined holdings reach reportable thresholds. The filing does not indicate that Dougherty's combined holdings exceed any reporting threshold that would require additional disclosures regarding 10 percent ownership or control implications.

Equity Compensation Context in Financial Services

Restricted stock unit grants, such as those detailed in Dougherty's filing, have become standard components of executive compensation packages in the financial services industry. These awards serve multiple purposes: they provide executives with a direct financial interest in long-term share price performance, they support employee retention by vesting over multi-year periods, and they align executive and shareholder interests by creating incentives for sustained value creation. The 33.3 percent annual vesting schedule disclosed in Dougherty's grants is a common industry practice, creating a rolling incentive structure that reinforces multi-year performance commitments.

The combination of annual RSU grants, as evidenced by Dougherty's three separate grants from consecutive years, reflects Metropolitan Bank's approach to managing executive compensation and retention. By issuing overlapping grants with staggered vesting dates, the company ensures that participating executives maintain continuous equity exposure while providing protection against concentrated vesting events in any single year. This approach also supports compliance with tax planning considerations and regulatory requirements governing deferred compensation and equity plan administration.

Open Market Purchase Activity and Market Conditions

The disclosure indicates that Dougherty's share purchase on July 23, 2026, was executed at $89.98 per share, described in the filing as a "P" transaction code, which typically denotes a purchase in the open market. The filing provides no information regarding market conditions, price movement, or volume characteristics at the time of the transaction. The immediate share price impact was not clear from available public information, and the document contains no guidance regarding the direction or magnitude of Metropolitan Bank's stock performance in the period surrounding the acquisition date.

Open market purchases by corporate insiders are executed through standard brokerage channels and are subject to applicable securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 restrictions on trading based on material nonpublic information. The filing does not indicate whether Dougherty's purchase was executed pursuant to a pre-established trading plan designed to comply with Rule 10b5-1(c) safe harbor provisions, though such plans are commonly utilized by senior executives to avoid the appearance of impropriety or legal exposure related to insider trading restrictions.

Filing Completeness and Investor Information Access

The Form 4 filing represents the official disclosure of Dougherty's share acquisition and provides the complete recorded information regarding the transaction as required by federal securities regulations. The filing includes transaction details such as the date, quantity, price, and resulting beneficial ownership levels, along with explanatory information regarding the vesting schedules of restricted stock unit holdings. All information contained in the filing is derived from official corporate records and insider reporting obligations rather than from supplemental disclosures or press releases by the company.

Investors seeking to monitor insider activity at Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. may access this and other Form 4 filings through the SEC's EDGAR database, where complete filing histories are maintained and searchable by company name, ticker symbol, or reporting person. The cumulative information from multiple insider filings over time can provide insights into patterns of insider buying or selling activity, changes in aggregate beneficial ownership by executive and director groups, and trends in equity-based compensation practice within the institution. The public availability of such information reflects the regulatory framework's emphasis on transparency in securities markets.