Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration Statement No. 333-228698

Prospectus		Proxy Statement

MERGER PROPOSED — YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT

Dear Stockholder:

On October 25, 2018, OceanFirst Financial Corp., a Delaware corporation (which we refer to as “OceanFirst”), OceanFirst Bank, National Association, a national banking association and a wholly-owned subsidiary of OceanFirst (which we refer to as “OceanFirst Bank”), and Capital Bank of New Jersey, a New Jersey chartered commercial bank (which we refer to as “Capital Bank”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (which we refer to as the “merger agreement”) that provides for the merger of OceanFirst Bank and Capital Bank. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Capital Bank will merge with and into OceanFirst Bank, with OceanFirst Bank continuing as the surviving bank and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of OceanFirst.

At the effective time of the merger, each outstanding share of the common stock of Capital Bank, except for specified shares of Capital Bank common stock owned by Capital Bank, OceanFirst or stockholders who have properly exercised dissenters’ rights, will be converted into the right to receive 1.25 shares of the common stock of OceanFirst, together with cash in lieu of the fractional shares, if any, each such Capital Bank stockholder would have otherwise been entitled to receive in the merger.

Although the number of shares of OceanFirst common stock that holders of Capital Bank common stock will be entitled to receive is fixed, the market value of such shares (and, therefore, the merger consideration) will fluctuate with the market price of OceanFirst common stock and will not be known at the time Capital Bank stockholders vote on the merger. However, as described in more detail elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus, under the terms of the merger agreement, if the average of the daily closing prices of OceanFirst common stock over a specified period of time close to the expected closing date of the merger decreases below certain specified thresholds, Capital Bank would have a right to terminate the merger agreement, unless OceanFirst elects to increase the 1.25 share exchange ratio, which would result in additional shares of OceanFirst common stock being issued. Based on the $25.06 closing price of OceanFirst common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (which we refer to as the “NASDAQ”) on October 25, 2018, the last full trading day before the public announcement of the merger, the per share value of the merger consideration was equal to $31.33. Based on the $24.25 closing price of OceanFirst common stock on the NASDAQ on December 12, 2018, the latest practicable trading day before the printing of this proxy statement/prospectus, the per share value of the merger consideration was equal to $30.31. Based on the 1.25 exchange ratio and the number of shares of Capital Bank common stock outstanding as of December 11, 2018 (2,540,579), the last date prior to the printing of this proxy statement/prospectus for which it was practicable to obtain this information (which includes the number of shares of Capital Bank common stock underlying Capital Bank’s stock option and restricted stock awards as of December 11, 2018), the maximum number of shares of OceanFirst common stock estimated to be issuable at the effective time is 3,175,723. We urge you to obtain current market quotations for OceanFirst (trading symbol “OCFC”) and Capital Bank (OTC Pink symbol “CANJ”).

Capital Bank will hold a special meeting of its stockholders in connection with the merger. At the special meeting, Capital Bank stockholders will be asked to vote to approve the merger agreement, the merger and a related matter as described in this proxy statement/prospectus. Under the New Jersey Banking Act and the National Bank Act, approval of the merger agreement requires the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the common stock of Capital Bank entitled to vote at the special meeting.

Capital Bank stockholders are or may be entitled to assert dissenters’ rights with respect to the merger under Section 215a of the National Bank Act (which we refer to as “12 U.S.C. § 215a”). Any stockholder who wishes to exercise dissenters’ rights must strictly comply with the procedures set forth in 12 U.S.C. § 215a, a copy of which is included as Annex B to the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus. A description of these procedures is included in the section entitled “The Merger — Dissenters’ Rights” in the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus.

The special meeting is scheduled to be held on January 23, 2019 at the Luciano Conference Center, Cumberland County College, 3322 College Drive, Vineland, New Jersey at 7:00 p.m. local time.

The Capital Bank board of directors unanimously recommends that Capital Bank stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, and “FOR” the other proposal to be considered at the special meeting.

This proxy statement/prospectus describes the special meeting, the merger, the documents related to the merger and other related matters. Please carefully read this entire proxy statement/prospectus, including “Risk Factors,” beginning on page 17, for a discussion of the risks relating to the merger. You also can obtain information about OceanFirst from documents that it has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued in the merger or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this proxy statement/prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The securities to be issued in the merger are not savings or deposit accounts or other obligations of any bank or non-bank subsidiary of either OceanFirst or Capital Bank, and they are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.

The date of this proxy statement/prospectus is December 13, 2018 and it is first being mailed or otherwise delivered to the stockholders of Capital Bank on or about December 21, 2018.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To our Stockholders:

A special meeting of the stockholders of Capital Bank of New Jersey, or Capital Bank, is scheduled to be held at 7:00 p.m. local time, on January 23, 2019, at the Luciano Conference Center, Cumberland County College, 3322 College Drive, Vineland, New Jersey to consider and vote upon the following proposals:

We have fixed the close of business on December 5, 2018 as the record date for the special meeting. Only Capital Bank stockholders of record as of this record date are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting, or any adjournment of the special meeting. Under the New Jersey Banking Act and the National Bank Act, approval of the merger proposal requires the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the common stock of Capital Bank entitled to vote at the special meeting. The adjournment proposal will be approved if the holders of a majority of the shares represented at the special meeting, provided a quorum is present, vote in favor of such proposal.

Capital Bank stockholders are or may be entitled to assert dissenters’ rights with respect to the merger described above under 12 U.S.C. § 215a. Any stockholder who wishes to exercise dissenters’ rights must strictly comply with the procedures set forth in 12 U.S.C. § 215a, a copy of which is included as Annex B to the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus. A description of these procedures is included in the section entitled “The Merger — Dissenters’ Rights” in the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus.

Our board of directors has unanimously approved the Agreement and Plan of Merger, has determined that such agreement and the transactions contemplated by such agreement, including the merger of Capital Bank with and into OceanFirst Bank, are advisable and in the best interests of Capital Bank and its stockholders, and unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the merger proposal and “FOR” the adjournment proposal.

Your vote is very important. We cannot complete the merger described above unless the holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding shares of common stock approve the merger proposal.

Regardless of whether you plan to attend the special meeting, please vote as soon as possible. If you hold stock in your name as a stockholder of record of Capital Bank, please complete, sign, date and return the accompanying proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid return envelope. You may also vote through the Internet. If you hold your stock in “street name” through a bank or broker, please follow the instructions on the voting instruction card furnished by such bank or broker.

The accompanying proxy statement/prospectus provides a detailed description of the special meeting, the merger of Capital Bank with and into OceanFirst Bank, the documents related to the merger and other related matters. We urge you to read the proxy statement/prospectus, including any documents incorporated in the proxy statement/prospectus by reference, and its annexes carefully and in their entirety.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

David J. Hanrahan, Sr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Capital Bank of New Jersey

REFERENCES TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This proxy statement/prospectus incorporates important business and financial information about OceanFirst from documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (which we refer to as the “SEC”) that are not included in or delivered with this proxy statement/prospectus. You can obtain any of the documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by OceanFirst at no cost from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also request copies of these documents, including documents incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus, at no cost by contacting OceanFirst at the following address:

OceanFirst Financial Corp.

110 West Front Street

Red Bank, New Jersey 07701

(732) 240-4500

You will not be charged for any of these documents that you request. To obtain timely delivery of these documents, you must request them no later than five business days before the date of the special meeting. This means that Capital Bank stockholders requesting documents must do so by January 16, 2019, in order to receive them before the special meeting.

You should rely only on the information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this document. No one has been authorized to provide you with information that is different from that contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this document. This document is dated December 13, 2018, and you should assume that the information in this document is accurate only as of such date. You should assume that the information incorporated by reference into this document is accurate as of the date of such document, and neither the mailing of this document to Capital Bank stockholders nor the issuance by OceanFirst of shares of OceanFirst common stock in connection with the merger will create any implication to the contrary.

This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, or the solicitation of a proxy, in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom it is unlawful to make any such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. Except where the context otherwise indicates, information contained in this document regarding Capital Bank has been provided by Capital Bank and information contained in this document regarding OceanFirst has been provided by OceanFirst.

See “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 102 for more details.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ANNEXES

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following are some questions that you, as a holder of Capital Bank common stock (which we refer to as a “Capital Bank stockholder”), may have about the merger or the special meeting and brief answers to those questions. We urge you to read carefully all of this proxy statement/prospectus because the information in this section does not provide all of the information that might be important to you with respect to the merger or the special meeting. For details about where you can find additional important information, please see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 102.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this proxy statement/prospectus to “OceanFirst” refer to OceanFirst Financial Corp., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, and references to “Capital Bank” refer to Capital Bank of New Jersey, a New Jersey chartered commercial bank, and its subsidiaries.

Q: What is the Merger?

A: OceanFirst, OceanFirst Bank and Capital Bank entered into the merger agreement on October 25, 2018, which provides for the strategic acquisition of Capital Bank by OceanFirst Bank.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Capital Bank will merge with and into OceanFirst Bank, with OceanFirst Bank continuing as the surviving bank in the merger and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of OceanFirst (which we refer to as the “merger”).

A copy of the merger agreement is included in this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A.

The merger cannot be completed unless, among other things, the holders of the common stock, par value $5.00 per share, of Capital Bank (which we refer to as the “Capital Bank common stock”) approve the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by that agreement, including the merger, by an affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the common stock of Capital Bank entitled to vote at the special meeting.

The completion of the merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of additional customary conditions, which are discussed in the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement — Conditions to Complete the Merger” beginning on page 69.

Q: Why am I receiving this proxy statement/prospectus?

A: We are delivering this document to you because it is a proxy statement being used by the Capital Bank board of directors (which we refer to as the “Capital Bank board”) to solicit proxies from the stockholders of Capital Bank in connection with approval of the merger and a related matter.

In order to approve the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, Capital Bank has called a special meeting of the Capital Bank stockholders (which we refer to as the “special meeting”). This document also serves as a notice of the special meeting and describes the proposals to be presented at the special meeting.

In addition, this document is also a prospectus of OceanFirst that is being delivered to Capital Bank stockholders because OceanFirst is offering shares of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of OceanFirst (which we refer to as the “OceanFirst common stock”) to Capital Bank stockholders as consideration in the merger.

This proxy statement/prospectus contains important information about the merger. This document also contains important information about the proposals being voted on at the special meeting. You should read this document carefully and in its entirety. The enclosed materials allow you to have your shares voted by proxy without attending the special meeting. Your vote is important. We encourage you to submit your proxy as soon as possible.

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Q: In addition to the approval of the merger agreement and the merger, what else are Capital Bank stockholders being asked to vote on at the special meeting?

A: In addition to the proposal to approve the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger (which we refer to as the “merger proposal”), Capital Bank is soliciting proxies from its stockholders with respect to a proposal to adjourn the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the merger proposal (which we refer to as the “adjournment proposal”). Completion of the merger is not conditioned upon approval of the adjournment proposal.

Q: What will Capital Bank stockholders be entitled to receive in the merger?

A: If the merger is completed, each outstanding share of Capital Bank common stock, except for certain shares owned by Capital Bank, OceanFirst or stockholders who have properly exercised dissenters’ rights, will be converted into the right to receive 1.25 shares of OceanFirst common stock (such number being referred to as the “exchange ratio” and such shares being referred to as the “merger consideration”), together with cash in lieu of fractional shares. OceanFirst will not issue any fractional shares of OceanFirst common stock in the merger. Capital Bank stockholders who would otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional share of OceanFirst common stock upon the completion of the merger will instead be entitled to receive an amount in cash (rounded to the nearest cent) based on the volume-weighted average trading price (which we refer to as “VWAP”) per share of OceanFirst common stock for the five full trading days ending on the last trading day preceding the day on which the merger is completed.

Q: How will the merger affect Capital Bank’s restricted stock and stock option awards?

A: Capital Bank’s restricted stock and stock option awards will be affected as follows:

Restricted Stock Awards: At the effective time of the merger (which we refer to as the “effective time”), each outstanding restricted stock award in respect of shares of Capital Bank common stock will fully vest and the restrictions on those restricted stock awards will lapse, and each holder of such restricted stock award will be entitled to receive the merger consideration in respect of the cancellation of each share of Capital Bank common stock subject to such Capital Bank restricted stock award no later than ten business days after the effective time.

Stock Options: At the effective time, each outstanding and unexercised option (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Capital Bank common stock will be cancelled and exchanged for a payment in cash (without interest) equal to the product of (a) the aggregate number of shares of Capital Bank common stock issuable upon exercise of the option and (b) the excess, if any, of (i) the product of the exchange ratio and the VWAP of OceanFirst’s common stock on the NASDAQ for the five full trading days ending on the last trading day preceding the closing date over (ii) the per-share exercise price of such stock option. The cash payment is payable as soon as practicable after the effective time.

Q: Will the value of the merger consideration change between the date of this proxy statement/prospectus and the time that the merger is completed?

A: Yes. Because the exchange ratio is fixed, the value of the merger consideration will fluctuate between the date of this proxy statement/prospectus and the closing date because the market value for OceanFirst common stock will fluctuate.

Q: How does the Capital Bank board recommend that I vote at the special meeting?

A: The Capital Bank board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the merger proposal and “FOR” the adjournment proposal.

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Q: When and where is the special meeting?

A: The special meeting is scheduled to be held at the Luciano Conference Center, Cumberland County College, 3322 College Drive, Vineland, New Jersey on January 23, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. local time.

Q: What do I need to do now?

A: After you have carefully read this entire proxy statement/prospectus and have decided how you wish to vote your shares, please vote your shares promptly so that your shares are represented and voted at the special meeting. If you hold your shares in your name as a stockholder of record, you must complete, sign, date and mail your proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid return envelope as soon as possible. Alternatively, you may vote through the Internet prior to midnight on January 22, 2019. Information and applicable deadlines for voting shares through the Internet are set forth in the enclosed proxy card instructions. If you hold your shares in “street name” through a bank or broker, you must direct your bank or broker how to vote in accordance with the instructions you have received from your bank or broker. “Street name” stockholders who wish to vote in person at the special meeting will need to obtain a legal proxy from the institution that holds their shares.

Q: What constitutes a quorum for the special meeting?

A: The presence at the special meeting, in person or by proxy, of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock entitled to be voted at the special meeting will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the special meeting. Once a share is represented for any purpose at the special meeting, it is deemed present for quorum purposes for the remainder of the special meeting or any adjournment of the special meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will be included in determining the number of shares present at the meeting for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum.

Q: What is the vote required to approve each proposal at the special meeting?

A: The merger proposal:

The adjournment proposal:

Q: Why is my vote important?

A: If you do not vote, it will be more difficult for Capital Bank to obtain the necessary quorum to hold the special meeting. If you are a Capital Bank stockholder, your failure to submit a proxy or vote in person, or failure to

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instruct your bank or broker how to vote, or abstention with respect to the merger proposal will effectively be counted as a vote against the merger proposal. The merger proposal must be approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the common stock of Capital Bank entitled to vote at the special meeting. The Capital Bank board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the merger proposal and “FOR” the adjournment proposal.

Q: If my shares of common stock are held in “street name” by my bank or broker, will my bank or broker automatically vote my shares for me?

A: No. Your bank or broker cannot vote your shares without instructions from you. You should instruct your bank or broker how to vote your shares in accordance with the instructions provided to you. Please check the voting form used by your bank or broker.

Q: Can I attend the special meeting and vote my shares in person?

A: Yes. All Capital Bank stockholders, including stockholders of record and stockholders who hold their shares “in street name” through banks, brokers, nominees or any other holder of record, are invited to attend the Capital Bank meeting. Holders of record of Capital Bank common stock can vote in person at the special meeting. If you are not a stockholder of record, you must obtain a proxy, executed in your favor, from the record holder of your shares, such as a broker, bank or other nominee, to be able to vote in person at the special meeting. If you plan to attend the special meeting, you must hold your shares in your own name or have a letter from the record holder of your shares confirming your ownership. The use of cameras, sound recording equipment, communications devices or any similar equipment during the special meeting is prohibited.

Q: Can I change my vote?

A: Yes. If you are a holder of record of Capital Bank common stock, you may change your vote or revoke any proxy at any time before it is voted at the special meeting by (i) signing and returning a proxy with a later date, (ii) delivering a written revocation letter to Capital Bank’s corporate secretary, (iii) attending the special meeting in person and delivering to the corporate secretary of Capital Bank a written notice of your intention to vote in person and voting by ballot at the special meeting or (iv) voting through the Internet prior to 11:59 p.m. on January 22, 2019. Attendance at the special meeting by itself will not automatically revoke your proxy. A revocation or later-dated proxy received by Capital Bank after the vote will not affect the vote. Capital Bank’s corporate secretary’s mailing address is: Corporate Secretary, Capital Bank of New Jersey, 175 South Main Road, Vineland, New Jersey 08360.

If you hold your shares of Capital Bank common stock in “street name” through a bank or broker, you should contact your bank or broker to change your vote or revoke your proxy.

Q: What are the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the merger to Capital Bank stockholders?

A: OceanFirst and Capital Bank intend for the merger to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (which we refer to as the “Code”). As a condition to the respective obligations of OceanFirst and Capital Bank to each complete the merger transactions, OceanFirst shall receive an opinion from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (which we refer to as “Skadden”) and Capital Bank shall receive an opinion from Stevens & Lee, each to the effect that the merger will qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. Neither OceanFirst nor Capital Bank currently intends to waive these conditions. Assuming the merger qualifies as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. holder (as defined in the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” beginning on page 74) of Capital Bank common stock generally will not recognize gain or loss, except with respect to cash received in lieu of fractional shares of OceanFirst common stock.

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For further information, see the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” beginning on page 74.

The U.S. federal income tax consequences described above may not apply to all holders of Capital Bank common stock. Your tax consequences will depend on your specific situation. Accordingly, we strongly urge you to consult your tax advisor for a full understanding of the particular tax consequences of the merger to you.

Q: Are Capital Bank stockholders entitled to dissenters’ rights?

A: Yes. Capital Bank stockholders are entitled to exercise dissenters’ rights in connection with the merger, which means that a dissenting stockholder is entitled to receive the value of his, her or its shares in cash (which may be more or less than the value of the consideration that such holder would receive in the merger), as determined by a committee, if the dissenting stockholder does not vote in favor of the merger and complies with all of the other requirements set forth in 12 U.S.C. § 215a; provided that the merger is completed. You should read carefully the detailed description of the requirements to exercise dissenters’ rights in “The Merger — Dissenters’ Rights” beginning on page 53, as well as the full text of 12 U.S.C. § 215a, which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex B.

In addition, it is a condition to OceanFirst’s obligation to complete the merger that the holders of not more than 10% of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock exercise dissenters’ rights.

Q: If I am a Capital Bank stockholder, should I send in my Capital Bank stock certificates now?

A: No. Please do not send in your Capital Bank stock certificates with your proxy. Promptly following the completion of the merger, an exchange agent will send you instructions for exchanging Capital Bank stock certificates for the merger consideration. See “The Merger Agreement — Conversion of Shares; Exchange of Certificates” beginning on page 57.

Q: What should I do if I hold my shares of Capital Bank common stock in book-entry form?

A: You are not required to take any special additional actions if your shares of Capital Bank common stock are held in book-entry form. Promptly following the completion of the merger, shares of Capital Bank common stock held in book-entry form automatically will be exchanged for shares of OceanFirst common stock in book-entry form and cash to be paid in exchange for fractional shares, if any.

Q: What happens if the merger is not completed?

A: If the merger is not completed, Capital Bank stockholders will not receive any consideration for their shares in connection with the merger. Instead, Capital Bank will remain an independent company and its common stock will continue to be traded on the OTC Market Group Inc.’s OTC Pink marketplace (which we refer to as the “OTC Pink”) under the symbol “CANJ.” In addition, if the merger agreement is terminated in certain circumstances, Capital Bank may be required to pay OceanFirst a termination fee. For a more detailed discussion of the circumstances under which a payment of the termination fee will be required to be paid, please see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement — Termination Fee” beginning on page 71.

Q: What happens if I sell my shares of Capital Bank common stock after the record date but before the special meeting?

A: The record date of the special meeting is earlier than the date of the special meeting and the date that the merger is expected to be completed. If you sell or otherwise transfer your shares after the record date for the special meeting but before the date of the special meeting, you will retain your right to vote at the special

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meeting, but you will not have the right to receive the merger consideration to be received by stockholders of Capital Bank in the merger. In order to receive the merger consideration, a Capital Bank stockholder must hold his, her or its shares through completion of the merger and comply with the transmittal procedures discussed elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.

Q: Whom may I contact if I cannot locate my Capital Bank stock certificate(s)?

A: If you are unable to locate your original Capital Bank stock certificate(s) prior to closing, you should contact Philadelphia Stock Transfer, Capital Bank’s transfer agent, at 866-223-0448, or info@philadelphiastocktransfer.com.

Q: What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?

A: Capital Bank stockholders may receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this proxy statement/prospectus and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards. For example, if you hold shares of Capital Bank common stock in more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold such shares. If you are a holder of record of Capital Bank common stock and your shares are registered in more than one name, you will receive more than one proxy card. Please complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive or otherwise follow the voting instructions set forth in this proxy statement/prospectus to ensure that you vote every share of Capital Bank common stock that you own.

Q: When do you expect to complete the merger?

A: OceanFirst and Capital Bank currently expect to complete the merger in the first quarter of 2019. However, neither OceanFirst nor Capital Bank can assure you of when, or if, the merger will be completed. The completion of the merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including the approval by the Capital Bank stockholders of the merger proposal and the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals.

Q: Whom should I call with questions?

A: Capital Bank stockholders who have questions concerning the merger or this proxy statement/prospectus, would like additional copies of this proxy statement/prospectus or need help voting their shares of Capital Bank common stock, should contact Capital Bank’s proxy solicitor, Laurel Hill Advisory Group, LLC, at (516) 396-7939.

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RISK FACTORS

In addition to general investment risks and the other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus, including the matters addressed under the section “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” beginning on page 23 you should carefully consider the following risk factors in deciding how to vote for the proposals presented in this proxy statement/prospectus. You should also consider the other information in this proxy statement/prospectus and the other documents incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 102.

Because the market price of OceanFirst common stock may fluctuate, Capital Bank stockholders cannot be certain of the precise value of the merger consideration they will be entitled to receive.

At the time the merger is completed, each issued and outstanding share of Capital Bank common stock, except for certain specified shares owned by OceanFirst, Capital Bank or stockholders who have properly exercised dissenters’ rights, will be converted into the right to receive 1.25 shares of OceanFirst common stock, together with cash in lieu of fractional shares. There will be a lapse of time between each of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, the date of the special meeting and the date on which Capital Bank stockholders entitled to receive the merger consideration actually receive the merger consideration. The market value of OceanFirst common stock may fluctuate during these periods as a result of a variety of factors, which may include general market and economic conditions, changes in OceanFirst’s businesses, operations and prospects and regulatory considerations. Many of these factors are outside of the control of OceanFirst and Capital Bank. Consequently, at the time Capital Bank stockholders must decide whether to approve the merger proposal, they will not know the actual market value of the shares of OceanFirst common stock they may receive when the merger is completed. The value of the merger consideration will depend on the market value of shares of OceanFirst common stock on the date the merger consideration is received and thereafter. This value will not be known at the time of the special meeting and may be more or less than the current price of OceanFirst common stock or the price of OceanFirst common stock at the time of the special meeting.

The market price of OceanFirst common stock after the merger is completed may be affected by factors different from those currently affecting the market price of Capital Bank or OceanFirst common stock.

Upon completion of the merger, Capital Bank stockholders will become OceanFirst stockholders. OceanFirst’s business differs in important respects from that of Capital Bank, and, accordingly, the results of operations of the combined company and the market price of OceanFirst common stock after the completion of the merger may be affected by factors different from those currently affecting the independent results of operations of each of OceanFirst and Capital Bank. For a discussion of the business of OceanFirst and of some important factors to consider in connection with that business, see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 102.

Regulatory approvals may not be received, may take longer than expected or may impose conditions that are not presently anticipated or that could have an adverse effect on the combined company following the merger.

Before the merger can be completed, OceanFirst Bank must obtain approval of the merger or a waiver of such approval from the OCC. Other approvals, waivers or consents from regulators may also be required. In determining whether to grant these approvals, waivers and consents the regulators consider a variety of factors, including the regulatory standing of each party and the factors described under the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger — Regulatory Approvals Required for the Completion of the Merger” beginning on page 54. An adverse development in either party’s regulatory standing or these factors could result in an inability to obtain approval or a delay in their receipt. These regulators may impose conditions on the completion of the merger or require changes to the terms of the merger. Such conditions or changes could have the effect of delaying or preventing completion of the merger or imposing additional costs on or limiting the

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revenues of the combined company following the completion of the merger, any of which might have an adverse effect on the combined company following the completion of the merger. However, under the terms of the merger agreement, in connection with obtaining such regulatory approvals or waivers, neither party is required to take any action, or commit to take any action, or agree to any condition or restriction, that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect (measured on a scale relative to Capital Bank) on any of OceanFirst, OceanFirst Bank, Capital Bank or the surviving bank, after giving effect to the merger (which we refer to as a “materially burdensome regulatory condition”). For more information, see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger — Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger” beginning on page 54.

Combining the two companies may be more difficult, costly or time consuming than expected and the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger may not be realized.

OceanFirst Bank and Capital Bank have operated and, until the completion of the merger, will continue to operate, independently. The success of the merger, including anticipated benefits and cost savings, will depend, in part, on OceanFirst’s ability to successfully combine and integrate the businesses of OceanFirst Bank and Capital Bank in a manner that permits growth opportunities and does not materially disrupt the existing customer relations nor result in decreased revenues due to loss of customers. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of either company’s ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect the combined company’s ability to maintain relationships with clients, customers, depositors, employees and other constituents or to achieve the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger. The loss of key employees could adversely affect OceanFirst’s ability to successfully conduct its business, which could have an adverse effect on OceanFirst’s financial results and the value of its common stock. If OceanFirst experiences difficulties with the integration process, the anticipated benefits of the merger may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. As with any merger of financial institutions, there also may be business disruptions that cause OceanFirst and/or Capital Bank to lose customers or cause customers to remove their accounts from OceanFirst and/or Capital Bank and move their business to competing financial institutions. Integration efforts between the two companies, as well as OceanFirst’s ongoing integration efforts relating to the Sun acquisition, will also divert management attention and resources. These integration matters could have an adverse effect on each of Capital Bank and OceanFirst during this transition period and for an undetermined period after completion of the merger on the combined company. In addition, the actual cost savings realized as a result of the merger could be less than anticipated.

Certain of Capital Bank’s directors and executive officers have interests in the merger that may differ from the interests of the Capital Bank stockholders.

The Capital Bank stockholders should be aware that some of Capital Bank’s directors and executive officers have interests in the merger and have arrangements that are different from, or in addition to, those of Capital Bank stockholders generally. The Capital Bank board was aware of these interests and considered these interests, among other matters, when making its decision to approve the merger agreement, and in recommending that Capital Bank stockholders vote in favor of the merger proposal and certain related matters and against alternative transactions.

The material interests considered by the Capital Bank board were as follows:

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For a more complete description of these interests, see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger — Interests of Capital Bank’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger” beginning on page 50.

The merger agreement may be terminated in accordance with its terms, and the merger may not be completed.

The merger agreement is subject to a number of customary closing conditions that must be satisfied or waived in order to complete the merger, including the receipt of the requisite approval of the Capital Bank stockholders and the requisite regulatory approvals. These conditions to the closing of the merger may not be satisfied or waived in a timely manner or at all, and, accordingly, the merger may be delayed or may not be completed. In addition, OceanFirst and Capital Bank may elect to terminate the merger agreement in certain other circumstances and, in certain circumstances, Capital Bank may be required to pay OceanFirst a termination fee of $3.2 million.

Termination of the merger agreement could negatively impact Capital Bank or OceanFirst.

If the merger agreement is terminated, there may be various consequences. For example, Capital Bank’s or OceanFirst’s businesses may have been impacted adversely by the failure to pursue other opportunities due to management’s focus on the merger, without realizing any of the anticipated benefits of completing the merger. Additionally, if the merger agreement is terminated, the market price of the Capital Bank common stock or the OceanFirst common stock could decline to the extent that the current market prices reflect a market assumption that the merger will be completed. If the merger agreement is terminated under certain circumstances, Capital Bank may be required to pay to OceanFirst a termination fee of $3.2 million.

Furthermore, each of OceanFirst and Capital Bank has incurred and will incur substantial expenses in connection with the completion of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, as well as the costs and expenses of filing, printing and mailing this proxy statement/prospectus and all filing and other fees paid to the SEC in connection with the merger. If the merger is not completed, OceanFirst and Capital Bank would have to recognize these expenses without realizing the expected benefits of the merger.

Capital Bank and OceanFirst will be subject to business uncertainties and contractual restrictions while the merger is pending.

Uncertainty about the effect of the merger on employees and customers may have an adverse effect on Capital Bank or OceanFirst. These uncertainties may impair Capital Bank’s or OceanFirst’s ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel until the merger is completed, and could cause customers and others that deal with Capital Bank or OceanFirst to seek to change existing business relationships with Capital Bank or OceanFirst. Retention of certain employees by Capital Bank or OceanFirst may be challenging while the merger is pending, as certain employees may experience uncertainty about their future roles with OceanFirst. If key employees depart because of issues relating to the uncertainty and difficulty of integration or a desire not to remain with Capital Bank or OceanFirst, Capital Bank’s business or OceanFirst’s business could be harmed. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, Capital Bank has agreed to operate its business in the ordinary course prior to closing, and each of Capital Bank and OceanFirst has agreed to certain restrictive covenants. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement — Covenants and Agreements” beginning on page 61 for a description of the restrictive covenants applicable to Capital Bank and OceanFirst.

The merger agreement limits Capital Bank’s ability to pursue acquisition proposals and requires Capital Bank to pay OceanFirst a termination fee of $3.2 million under certain circumstances, including circumstances relating to competing acquisition proposals for Capital Bank.

The merger agreement prohibits Capital Bank from initiating, soliciting, inducing, encouraging or facilitating third-party acquisition proposals. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement — Agreement Not to Solicit Other Offers” beginning on page 67. In addition,

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unless the merger agreement has been terminated in accordance with its terms, Capital Bank has an unqualified obligation to submit the merger proposal to a vote by Capital Bank stockholders, even if Capital Bank receives a proposal that the Capital Bank board believes is superior to the merger. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement — Stockholder Meetings and Recommendation of the Board of Directors of Capital Bank” beginning on page 66. The merger agreement also provides that Capital Bank must pay OceanFirst a termination fee in the amount of $3.2 million in the event that the merger agreement is terminated under certain circumstances, including Capital Bank’s failure to abide by certain obligations not to solicit acquisition proposals. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement —Termination Fee” beginning on page 71. These provisions might discourage a potential competing acquirer that might have an interest in acquiring all or a significant part of Capital Bank from considering or proposing such an acquisition. Each director of Capital Bank, solely in his or her capacity as a Capital Bank stockholder, has entered into a separate voting and support agreement with OceanFirst, pursuant to which each such director has (a) agreed to vote in favor of the merger proposal and certain related matters and against alternative transactions and (b) waived dissenters’ rights. As of the record date, the Capital Bank directors that are party to these voting and support agreements beneficially owned and were entitled to vote in the aggregate approximately 9.2% of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock. For more information see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement — Voting and Support Agreements” beginning on page 72.

The shares of OceanFirst common stock to be received by Capital Bank stockholders as a result of the merger will have different rights from the shares of Capital Bank common stock.

The rights of Capital Bank stockholders are currently governed by the NJ Banking Act, Capital Bank’s certificate of incorporation and Capital Bank’s bylaws. Upon completion of the merger, Capital Bank stockholders will become OceanFirst stockholders and their rights as stockholders will then be governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law (which we refer to as the “DGCL”), OceanFirst’s certificate of incorporation and OceanFirst’s bylaws. The rights associated with Capital Bank common stock are different from the rights associated with OceanFirst common stock. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Comparison of Stockholders’ Rights” beginning on page 85 for a discussion of the different rights associated with OceanFirst common stock.

Holders of Capital Bank common stock will have a reduced ownership and voting interest after the merger and will exercise less influence over management.

Holders of Capital Bank common stock currently have the right to vote in the election of the board of directors and on other matters affecting Capital Bank. Upon the completion of the merger, each Capital Bank stockholder who receives shares of OceanFirst common stock will become an OceanFirst stockholder with a percentage ownership of OceanFirst that is significantly smaller than the stockholder’s current percentage ownership of Capital Bank. It is currently expected that the former Capital Bank stockholders as a group will receive shares in the merger constituting approximately 6.2% of the outstanding shares of OceanFirst common stock immediately after the merger. As a result, current OceanFirst stockholders as a group will own approximately 93.8% of the outstanding shares of OceanFirst common stock immediately after the merger. Because of this reduced ownership percentage, Capital Bank stockholders will have less influence on the management and policies of OceanFirst than they now have on the management and policies of Capital Bank.

If a specified number of Capital Bank stockholders exercise dissenters’ rights, Capital Bank and OceanFirst may not be able to complete the merger and may incur significant additional costs

Capital Bank stockholders are entitled to assert dissenters’ rights provided by the National Bank Act, as described in more detail in the section titled “The Merger — Dissenters’ Rights” beginning on page 53. If the merger is completed, a Capital Bank stockholder who has complied with applicable requirements under 12 U.S.C. § 215a may require OceanFirst to pay in cash the appraised value of such stockholder’s dissenting shares

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instead of the merger consideration. The merger agreement contains a closing condition that can only be waived by OceanFirst that holders of not more than 10% of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock may assert such dissenters’ rights. OceanFirst, OceanFirst Bank and Capital Bank cannot predict the number of shares of Capital Bank common stock that will constitute dissenting shares in the merger, the amount of cash that OceanFirst may be required to pay following the merger with respect to the dissenting shares or the expenses that OceanFirst may incur in connection with the appraisal process. If the number of dissenting shares exceeds the percentage described above it could prevent the merger from being completed.

The merger is expected to, but may not, qualify as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code.

The parties expect the merger to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, and the obligation each of OceanFirst and Capital Bank to complete the merger is conditioned upon the receipt of an opinion to that effect from their respective U.S. tax counsel. These opinions will represent the legal judgment of counsel and are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or the courts. If the merger does not qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, then a Capital Bank stockholder may be required to recognize any gain or loss equal to the difference between (1) the sum of the fair market value of OceanFirst common stock received by the Capital Bank stockholder in the merger and the amount of cash, if any, received by the Capital Bank stockholder in the merger in lieu of fractional shares of OceanFirst common stock, and (2) the Capital Bank stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares of Capital Bank common stock exchanged therefor. For further information, please refer to the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.” You should consult your tax advisor to determine the particular tax consequences to you in light of your particular circumstances.

Litigation against OceanFirst or Capital Bank or their respective board of directors could prevent or delay the completion of the merger or result in the payment of damages following the completion of the merger.

While OceanFirst and Capital Bank believe that any claims that may be asserted by purported stockholder plaintiffs related to the merger would be without merit, the results of any such potential legal proceedings are difficult to predict and could delay or prevent the merger from becoming effective in a timely manner. The existence of litigation related to the merger could affect the likelihood of obtaining the required approval of the merger proposal. Moreover, any litigation could be time consuming and expensive, could divert OceanFirst management or Capital Bank management’s attention away from their regular business and, if any lawsuit is adversely resolved against OceanFirst, Capital Bank or their respective board of directors, it could have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of OceanFirst, Capital Bank or the surviving bank in the merger.

One of the conditions to the consummation of the merger is the absence of any law or order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) by any court or regulatory authority of competent jurisdiction prohibiting, restricting or making illegal the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement (including the merger). Consequently, if a settlement or other resolution is not reached in any lawsuit that is filed and a claimant secures injunctive or other relief prohibiting, delaying or otherwise adversely affecting OceanFirst or Capital Bank’s ability to complete the merger, then such injunctive or other relief may prevent the merger from becoming effective in a timely manner or at all.

The unaudited pro forma financial data included in this proxy statement/prospectus is illustrative only, and may differ materially from OceanFirst’s actual financial position and results of operations in the future, including after the merger.

The accompanying unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements of OceanFirst are presented for illustrative purposes only and, pursuant to the instructions to Form S-4 and the rules promulgated under Regulation S-X, reflect the pro forma effects of the Sun acquisition as of the dates set forth therein and for the periods then ended and do not include or reflect the pro forma effects of the merger. Such pro forma financial

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statements do not include any adjustments for the potential cost savings, revenue synergies or any restructuring or other costs incurred with respect to the Sun acquisition, and, therefore, while such amounts have not yet been determined, the financial effects of the Sun acquisition may differ materially from the unaudited pro forma financial statements set forth herein. However, there can be no assurance that any potential cost savings or revenue synergies will be achieved from the Sun acquisition. The unaudited pro forma information is not necessarily indicative of what the financial position or results of operations of OceanFirst actually would have been had the Sun acquisition been completed at the dates indicated. In addition, the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information does not purport to project the future financial position or operating results of the combined company after the Sun acquisition or the merger.

The fairness opinion received by the Capital Bank board from its financial advisor prior to execution of the merger agreement does not reflect changes in circumstances subsequent to the date of the fairness opinion.

Boenning, Capital Bank’s financial advisor in connection with the merger, delivered to the Capital Bank board its fairness opinion on October 25, 2018. The opinion speaks only as of the date of such opinion. The opinion does not reflect changes that may occur or may have occurred after the date of the opinion, including changes to the operations and prospects of OceanFirst or Capital Bank, changes in general market and economic conditions or regulatory or other factors. Any such changes may materially alter or affect the relative values of OceanFirst and Capital Bank.

Estimates as to the future value of the combined company are inherently uncertain. You should not rely on such estimates without considering all of the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus.

Any estimates as to the future value of the combined company, including estimates regarding the earnings per share of the combined company, are inherently uncertain. The future value of the combined company will depend upon, among other factors, the combined company’s ability to achieve projected revenue and earnings expectations and to realize the anticipated synergies described in this proxy statement/prospectus, all of which are subject to the risks and uncertainties described in this proxy statement/prospectus, including these risk factors. Accordingly, you should not rely upon any estimates as to the future value of the combined company, whether made before or after the date of this proxy statement/prospectus by OceanFirst’s and Capital Bank’s respective management teams or others, without considering all of the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus.

If the merger is not completed, Capital Bank will have incurred substantial expenses without realizing the expected benefits.

Capital Bank will incur substantial expenses in connection with the merger. The completion of the merger depends on the satisfaction or waiver of specified conditions and the receipt of regulatory approval of the merger, or waiver of such approval, from the OCC. Capital Bank cannot guarantee that these conditions will be met. If the merger is not completed, these expenses could have a material adverse impact on the financial condition of Capital Bank because it would not have realized the expected benefits from the merger.

In addition, if the merger is not completed, Capital Bank may experience negative reactions from the financial markets and from its stockholders, customers and employees. Also, Capital Bank may not be able to successfully resume independent operations, or enter into a merger agreement with another party. If it is able to enter into another merger agreement, it may be at a lower price. If the merger is not completed, Capital Bank cannot assure its stockholders that the risks described above will not materialize and will not materially affect the business and financial results of Capital Bank or the price at which shares of Capital Bank common stock trade.

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This proxy statement/prospectus contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (which we refer to as the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which we refer to as the “Exchange Act”). These forward-looking statements may include: management plans relating to the merger; the expected timing of the completion of the merger; the ability to complete the merger; the ability to obtain any required regulatory, stockholder or other approvals; any statements of the plans and objectives of management for future operations, products or services, including the execution of integration plans relating to the merger and OceanFirst’s recently completed Sun acquisition; any statements of expectation or belief; projections related to certain financial metrics; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “will,” “would,” “target,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project” and other similar words and expressions or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Neither OceanFirst nor Capital Bank assumes any duty and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements. Because forward-looking statements are by their nature, to different degrees, uncertain and subject to assumptions, actual results or future events could differ, possibly materially, from those that OceanFirst or Capital Bank anticipated in its forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those included under the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 17 and under Item 1A “Risk Factors” in OceanFirst’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, those disclosed in OceanFirst’s other periodic reports filed with the SEC, as well as the possibility: that expected benefits of the merger and the Sun acquisition may not materialize in the timeframe expected or at all, or may be more costly to achieve; that the merger may not be timely completed, if at all; that prior to the completion of the merger or thereafter, OceanFirst’s and Capital Bank’s respective businesses may not perform as expected due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors; that the parties are unable to successfully implement integration strategies relating to the merger or the Sun acquisition; that required regulatory, stockholder or other approvals are not obtained or other customary closing conditions are not satisfied in a timely manner or at all; reputational risks and the reaction of the companies’ customers, employees and other constituents to the transaction; and diversion of management time on merger-related matters. For any forward-looking statements made in this proxy statement/prospectus or in any documents, OceanFirst and Capital Bank claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts and may not reflect actual results.

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THE CAPITAL BANK SPECIAL MEETING

This section contains information for Capital Bank stockholders about the special meeting that Capital Bank has called to allow its stockholders to consider and vote on the merger proposal and the adjournment proposal. Capital Bank is mailing this proxy statement/prospectus to you, as a Capital Bank stockholder, on or about December 21, 2018. This proxy statement/prospectus is accompanied by a notice of the special meeting and a form of proxy card that the Capital Bank board is soliciting for use at the special meeting and at any adjournments or postponements of the special meeting.

Date, Time and Place of the Special Meeting

The special meeting is scheduled to be held at the Luciano Conference Center, Cumberland County College, 3322 College Drive, Vineland, New Jersey at 7:00 p.m. local time, on January 23, 2019. On or about December 21, 2018, Capital Bank will commence mailing this proxy statement/prospectus and the enclosed form of proxy card to its stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting.

Matters to Be Considered

At the special meeting, you, as a Capital Bank stockholder, will be asked to consider and vote upon the following matters:

Recommendation of the Capital Bank Board

The Capital Bank board has determined that the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, are advisable and in the best interests of Capital Bank and its stockholders, has unanimously approved the merger agreement and the merger and unanimously recommends that the Capital Bank stockholders vote “FOR” the merger proposal and “FOR” the adjournment proposal. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger — Capital Bank’s Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Capital Bank Board” beginning on page 35 for a more detailed discussion of the Capital Bank board’s recommendation.

Record Date and Quorum

The Capital Bank board has fixed the close of business on December 5, 2018, as the record date for determining its stockholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting.

As of the record date, there were 2,540,579 shares of Capital Bank common stock outstanding and entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting held by 449 holders of record. Each share of Capital Bank common stock entitles the holder to one vote at the special meeting on each proposal to be considered at the special meeting.

The presence at the special meeting, in person or by proxy, of holders representing at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock entitled to be voted at the special meeting will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the special meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will be treated as present for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for all matters voted on at the special meeting. Once a share is represented for any purpose at the special meeting, it is deemed present for quorum purposes for the remainder of the special meeting or any adjournment of the special meeting.

Required Vote; Treatment of Abstentions, Broker Non-Votes and Failure to Vote

Merger proposal:

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Adjournment proposal:

Shares Held by Officers and Directors

As of the record date, there were 2,540,579 shares of Capital Bank common stock outstanding, held by 449 holders of record. As of the record date, the directors and executive officers of Capital Bank and their affiliates beneficially owned and were entitled to vote approximately 271,210 shares of Capital Bank common stock, representing approximately 10.7% of the shares of Capital Bank common stock outstanding on that date.

Each of Capital Bank’s directors, in his or her capacity as a Capital Bank stockholder, has entered into a separate voting and support agreement with OceanFirst, pursuant to which each such director has (a) agreed to vote in favor of the merger proposal and certain related matters and against alternative transactions and (b) waived dissenters’ rights. As of the record date, the Capital Bank directors that are party to these voting and support agreements beneficially owned and were entitled to vote in the aggregate approximately 9.2% of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock. For more information regarding the voting and support agreements, see the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement — Voting and Support Agreements” beginning on page 72. As of the record date, OceanFirst beneficially held no shares of Capital Bank common stock.

Voting of Proxies; Incomplete Proxies

Any Capital Bank stockholder may vote by proxy or in person at the special meeting. If you hold your shares of Capital Bank common stock in your name as a stockholder of record, to submit a proxy you, as a Capital Bank stockholder, may use one of the following methods:

Capital Bank requests that its stockholders vote over the Internet prior to 11:59 p.m. on January 22, 2019 or by completing and signing the accompanying proxy card and returning it to Capital Bank as soon as possible in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. When the accompanying proxy card is returned properly executed, the shares of Capital Bank common stock represented by it will be voted at the special meeting in accordance with the instructions contained on the proxy card. If any proxy card is returned signed but without indication as to how to vote, the shares of Capital Bank common stock represented by the proxy card will be voted as recommended by the Capital Bank board.

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Every Capital Bank stockholder’s vote is important. Accordingly, each stockholder should sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card, or, prior to 11:59 p.m. on January 22, 2019, vote via the Internet, whether or not the stockholder plans to attend the special meeting in person. Sending in your proxy card or voting on the Internet will not prevent you from voting your shares personally at the meeting, since you may revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted.

Shares Held in “Street Name”

If you are a Capital Bank stockholder and your shares are held in “street name” through a bank, broker or other holder of record, you must provide the record holder of your shares with instructions on how to vote the shares. Please follow the voting instructions provided by the bank or broker. Stockholders should check the voting form used by that firm to determine whether you may vote by telephone or the Internet. You may not vote shares held in street name by returning a proxy card directly to Capital Bank or by voting in person at the special meeting unless you obtain a “legal proxy” from your broker, bank or other nominee.

Furthermore, brokers, banks or other nominees who hold shares of Capital Bank common stock on behalf of their customers will not vote your shares of Capital Bank common stock or give a proxy to Capital Bank to vote those shares with respect to the merger proposal without specific instructions from you, because brokers, banks and other nominees do not have discretionary voting power on such proposal. A broker non-vote occurs when the broker holder of record is unable to vote on a proposal because the proposal is non-routine and the beneficial owner does not provide any instructions. The merger proposal is a “non-routine” matter.

Revocability of Proxies and Changes to a Capital Bank Stockholder’s Vote

You have the power to change your vote at any time before your shares of Capital Bank common stock are voted at the special meeting by:

Attendance at the special meeting will not in and of itself constitute a revocation of a proxy.

If you choose to send a completed proxy card bearing a later date than your original proxy card, the new proxy card must be received before the beginning of the special meeting. If you have instructed a bank, broker or other nominee to vote your shares of Capital Bank common stock, you must follow the directions you receive from your bank, broker or other nominee in order to change or revoke your vote.

Solicitation of Proxies

Capital Bank will pay for the solicitation of proxies from the Capital Bank stockholders. In addition to soliciting proxies by mail, Laurel Hill Advisory Group, LLC, Capital Bank’s proxy solicitor, will assist Capital Bank in soliciting proxies from its stockholders. Capital Bank has agreed to pay $6,500, plus reasonable expenses not to exceed $1,500 without the consent of Capital Bank, for these services. Capital Bank will, upon request, reimburse brokers, banks and other nominees for their expenses in sending proxy materials to their customers who are beneficial owners and obtaining their voting instructions. Additionally, directors, officers and employees of Capital Bank may solicit proxies personally and by telephone. None of these persons will receive additional or special compensation for soliciting proxies.

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Attending the Special Meeting

All Capital Bank stockholders, including holders of record and stockholders who hold their shares through banks, brokers, nominees or any other holder of record, are invited to attend the special meeting. Capital Bank stockholders of record can vote in person at the special meeting. If you are not a Capital Bank stockholder of record, you must obtain a proxy executed in your favor from the record holder of your shares, such as a broker, bank or other nominee, to be able to vote in person at the special meeting. If you plan to attend the special meeting, you must hold your shares in your own name or have a letter from the record holder of your shares confirming your ownership. The use of cameras, sound recording equipment, communications devices or any similar equipment during the special meeting is prohibited.

Assistance

If you need assistance in completing your proxy card, have questions regarding the special meeting or would like additional copies of this proxy statement/prospectus, please contact Capital Bank’s proxy solicitor, Laurel Hill Advisory Group, LLC, at the following address, 2 Robbins Lane, Suite 201, Jericho, New York 11753, or by telephone at (516) 396-7939.

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CAPITAL BANK PROPOSALS

Proposal No. 1 — The Merger Proposal

Capital Bank is asking its stockholders to approve the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger. Capital Bank stockholders should read this proxy statement/prospectus carefully and in its entirety, including the annexes, for more detailed information concerning the merger agreement and the merger. A copy of the merger agreement is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A.

After careful consideration, the Capital Bank board unanimously approved the merger agreement and the merger, having determined that the merger agreement and the merger were advisable and in the best interests of Capital Bank and its stockholders. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger — Capital Bank’s Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Capital Bank Board” beginning on page 35 for a more detailed discussion of the Capital Bank board’s recommendation.

The Capital Bank board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the merger proposal.

Proposal No. 2 — The Adjournment Proposal

The special meeting may be adjourned to another time or place, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to approve the merger proposal.

If, at the special meeting, the number of shares of Capital Bank common stock present or represented by proxy and voting in favor of the merger proposal is insufficient to approve the merger proposal, Capital Bank intends to move to adjourn the special meeting in order to enable the Capital Bank board to solicit additional proxies for approval of the merger proposal. In that event, Capital Bank will ask its stockholders to vote upon the adjournment proposal, but not the merger proposal.

In this proposal, Capital Bank is asking its stockholders to authorize the holder of any proxy solicited by the Capital Bank board on a discretionary basis to vote in favor of adjourning the special meeting to another time and place for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies, including the solicitation of proxies from Capital Bank stockholders who have previously voted.

The Capital Bank board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the adjournment proposal.

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INFORMATION ABOUT OCEANFIRST AND OCEANFIRST BANK

OceanFirst is incorporated under Delaware law and serves as the holding company for OceanFirst Bank. OceanFirst common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “OCFC.” OceanFirst Bank, founded in 1902, is a $7.6 billion regional bank operating throughout New Jersey, metropolitan Philadelphia and metropolitan New York City. OceanFirst Bank delivers commercial and residential financing solutions, wealth management and deposit services and is one of the largest and oldest community-based financial institutions headquartered in New Jersey.

On May 2, 2016, OceanFirst completed the Cape acquisition. Total consideration paid for the Cape acquisition was $196.4 million. On November 30, 2016, OceanFirst completed the Ocean Shore acquisition. Total consideration paid for the Ocean Shore acquisition was $180.7 million. On January 31, 2018, OceanFirst completed the Sun acquisition. Total consideration paid for the Sun acquisition was $474.9 million.

OceanFirst Bank’s principal executive office is located at 110 West Front Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701 and its telephone number at that location is (732) 240-4500. OceanFirst’s website is www.oceanfirst.com. Additional information about OceanFirst Bank and its subsidiaries is included in documents incorporated by reference in this proxy statement/prospectus. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 102.

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INFORMATION ABOUT CAPITAL BANK

Capital Bank is a New Jersey state chartered commercial bank that opened for business in 2007. Capital Bank offers an array of personal and commercial banking products, including savings and checking accounts, certificates of deposit, and business and consumer loans. As of September 30, 2018, Capital Bank had $495.3 million in total assets, $446.2 million in deposits and $46.1 million of stockholders’ equity. Capital Bank has five locations in New Jersey – two in Vineland (Cumberland County), one in Woodbury Heights (Gloucester County), one in Hammonton (Atlantic County), and a loan production office in Marlton (Burlington County).

Capital Bank is traded on the OTC Pink under the symbol “CANJ.”

Capital Bank’s principal executive offices are located at 175 South Main Road, Vineland, New Jersey 08360 and its telephone number at that location is (856) 690-1234. Capital Bank’s website is www.cbnj.bank.

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THE MERGER

The following discussion contains certain information about the merger. The discussion is subject, and qualified in its entirety by reference, to the merger agreement attached as Annex A to this proxy statement/prospectus and incorporated herein by reference. We urge you to read carefully this entire proxy statement/prospectus, including the merger agreement attached as Annex A, for a more complete understanding of the merger.

Structure of the Merger

Each of the OceanFirst board and the Capital Bank board has unanimously approved the merger agreement. The merger agreement provides that Capital Bank will merge with and into OceanFirst Bank, with OceanFirst Bank continuing as the surviving bank in the merger and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of OceanFirst.

At the effective time, each issued and outstanding share of Capital Bank common stock, except for certain specified shares owned by OceanFirst, Capital Bank or stockholders who have properly exercised dissenters’ rights, will be converted into the right to receive 1.25 shares of OceanFirst common stock, together with cash in lieu of fractional shares. No fractional shares of OceanFirst common stock will be issued in connection with the merger, and Capital Bank stockholders will instead be entitled to receive cash in lieu thereof.

Capital Bank stockholders are being asked to approve the merger agreement and the merger. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “The Merger Agreement” beginning on page 56 for additional and more detailed information regarding the legal documents that govern the merger, including information about the conditions to the completion of the merger and the provisions for terminating or amending the merger agreement.

Background of the Merger

As part of its ongoing consideration of Capital Bank’s long-term prospects and strategies, the Capital Bank board has regularly considered various strategic alternatives, including opportunities for organic growth and potential acquisitions and merger transactions. The Capital Bank board has considered strategic options potentially available to Capital Bank with the goal of enhancing and focusing on value for its stockholders, serving its customers and community and providing for its employees.

Since being established in 2007, Capital Bank has grown to approximately $495.3 million in assets as of September 30, 2018. The Capital Bank board believes that Capital Bank needs to continue to grow in order to operate most efficiently, absorb the increasing costs of operating Capital Bank and become more profitable. Like many community banks, Capital Bank has incurred increasing costs in complying with new banking laws, regulations and policies, in addition to changes in technology that affect the way customers conduct banking business, as well as the difficulty of operating in a sustained low interest rate environment. The Capital Bank board and Capital Bank’s management have considered from time to time both organic growth strategies and business combinations with other financial institutions as a means of absorbing such higher operating costs by achieving greater economies of scale.

In 2017, Capital Bank engaged a financial advisor to explore potential strategic business combination transactions. During that process, Capital Bank and its financial advisor at the time contacted 16 potential transaction partners, including OceanFirst. Christopher D. Maher, President and Chief Executive Officer of OceanFirst, informally discussed with Capital Bank’s financial advisor the possibility of a strategic acquisition by OceanFirst of Capital Bank. However, these informal discussions did not result in more formal discussions or proposals. Following the termination of these discussions in May 2017, OceanFirst and Capital Bank did not have any further discussions regarding a potential strategic transaction until June 2018.

Based on the level of interest received from potential acquirers during the 2017 process, Capital Bank determined that a sale of Capital Bank was not in the best interest of the bank or its stockholders at that time.

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In May 2018, the Capital Bank board once again discussed Capital Bank’s strategic direction and decided to invite representatives from the investment banking firm Boenning to meet with the Capital Bank board to discuss market conditions and strategic options. The Capital Bank board also discussed potential merger partners, and directed David J. Hanrahan, Sr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Bank, to contact Mr. Maher and request a meeting. Mr. Hanrahan did so, and, on June 8, 2018, he met with Mr. Maher. At such meeting, Mr. Hanrahan inquired as to OceanFirst’s interest in a possible strategic acquisition by OceanFirst of Capital Bank, and Mr. Maher indicated that OceanFirst might be interested in acquiring Capital Bank.

On June 21, 2018, representatives of Boenning made a presentation to the Capital Bank board in which Boenning discussed Capital Bank, its current operating environment, recent merger and acquisition activity and trends, Capital Bank’s stock valuation considerations and prospective transaction partners. During Boenning’s discussion of prospective transaction partners, Boenning rated highly OceanFirst’s perceived interest and ability to pay a purchase price that would be attractive to the Capital Bank board and Capital Bank stockholders. Mr. Hanrahan also informed the Capital Bank board of the details of his June 8 meeting with Mr. Maher. The Capital Bank board instructed Mr. Hanrahan to follow up with Mr. Maher to continue discussions.

Mr. Hanrahan then set up a meeting with Mr. Maher for July 17, 2018. Prior to that meeting, Boenning provided Mr. Hanrahan with a more detailed analysis of OceanFirst’s ability to pay an attractive purchase price for Capital Bank, prior merger transaction history and terms and stock analysts’ opinions of OceanFirst common stock. On July 17, 2018, Messrs. Hanrahan and Maher met and discussed a possible merger and potential terms, as well as Capital Bank’s operating performance. Mr. Maher also offered to meet with the Capital Bank board to discuss the proposed merger further. After the meeting, Mr. Hanrahan supplied Mr. Maher with certain requested information to enable OceanFirst to establish a proposed purchase price per share of Capital Bank common stock. On July 18, 2018, Mr. Maher responded that, preliminarily and subject to due diligence, OceanFirst would be willing to pay up to $35.00 per share of Capital Bank common stock. Based on the closing price for OceanFirst common stock on July 18, 2018 of $29.90, that would have implied a merger exchange ratio of approximately 1.17 shares of OceanFirst common stock for each share of Capital Bank common stock.

At a regular meeting of the Capital Bank board held on July 19, 2018, Mr. Hanrahan updated the Capital Bank board on his discussions with Mr. Maher. The Capital Bank board authorized Mr. Hanrahan to indicate to OceanFirst that Capital Bank was interested in OceanFirst’s proposal and to arrange for the Capital Bank board to meet with OceanFirst representatives to further discuss the proposal. The Capital Bank board also authorized Mr. Hanrahan to negotiate with Boenning the terms of its engagement as Capital Bank’s financial advisor for the merger. After the Capital Bank board meeting, Mr. Hanrahan notified Mr. Maher accordingly.

On August 7, 2018, the Capital Bank board met with Mr. Maher and other representatives of OceanFirst to discuss a possible merger transaction. After the meeting, the Capital Bank board discussed the proposed merger and directed Mr. Hanrahan to request a written indication of interest from OceanFirst. On August 8, 2018, Mr. Hanrahan contacted Mr. Maher to make such a request and to request information regarding OceanFirst’s human resources policies and practices.

On August 13, 2018, OceanFirst provided Capital Bank a written non-binding indication of interest with an indicative purchase price of $35.00 per share of Capital Bank common stock, resulting in an aggregate deal value of $89.3 million (including the cash out of options), subject to confirmatory due diligence. Based on the closing price for OceanFirst common stock on August 13, 2018 of $28.63, that would have implied a merger exchange ratio of approximately 1.22 shares of OceanFirst common stock for each share of Capital Bank common stock. In the potential transaction, OceanFirst Bank would merge with Capital Bank in a 100% stock transaction in which OceanFirst Bank would be the surviving institution. The non-binding indication of interest also requested a 45-day exclusivity period to conduct further due diligence and continue confidential discussions.

On August 16, 2018, the Capital Bank board met, attended by representatives of Boenning and Capital Bank’s legal counsel, Stevens & Lee, to review OceanFirst’s indication of interest. At this meeting, Boenning reviewed

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with the Capital Bank board the terms of OceanFirst’s indication of interest and presented an overview of OceanFirst, including a summary of its historical financial performance, a comparison of its branch network to Capital Bank’s, recent stock trading information and a peer group analysis. A potential timeline of events was also discussed assuming Capital Bank were to enter into negotiations with OceanFirst. The Capital Bank board considered that the combination could create desirable scale, as an institution with combined assets of over $8.2 billion, and an improved earnings profile. The Capital Bank board also considered the recent growth and financial performance of OceanFirst. Other advantages considered by the Capital Bank board included a substantially increased legal lending capacity for Capital Bank to accommodate its customer base, and greater opportunities to serve its southern New Jersey communities. Based on OceanFirst’s indication of interest, the Capital Bank board authorized its officers to allow representatives of OceanFirst to conduct further due diligence on Capital Bank, to conduct reverse due diligence on OceanFirst and to negotiate the terms of a binding definitive agreement covering the transaction set forth in the indication of interest. The Capital Bank board also authorized entering into an agreement with OceanFirst providing for the requested 45-day exclusivity period. Additionally, on August 16, 2018, Mr. Hanrahan requested, and Mr. Maher agreed to, a slightly enhanced severance plan for Capital Bank employees who would not continue with OceanFirst following the completion of the proposed transaction.

On August 17, 2018, Capital Bank entered into a written agreement with Boenning engaging Boenning as Capital Bank’s financial advisor for the merger. Also on August 17, 2018, Capital Bank and OceanFirst entered into an exclusivity agreement (which we refer to as the “exclusivity agreement”), pursuant to which Capital Bank agreed to negotiate exclusively with OceanFirst for a 45-day period, and the parties agreed to mutual confidentiality and non-disclosure terms to facilitate the exchange of information in due diligence.

During late August and September 2018, Capital Bank and OceanFirst conducted due diligence on each other, including mutual data room document review by management, financial advisors and legal counsel, an August 27-28, 2018 off-site credit quality review by OceanFirst management at a location near Capital Bank’s main office, a September 14, 2018 meeting at which OceanFirst management conducted interviews of management of Capital Bank and a September 19, 2018 meeting at OceanFirst’s headquarters during which Capital Bank’s management and financial advisor reviewed documents and conducted interviews of OceanFirst’s management. During these interviews, the parties discussed aspects of each other’s businesses based on their respective reviews of the other party’s documents and files.

On September 20, 2018, Skadden, OceanFirst’s legal counsel, provided a draft merger agreement to Stevens & Lee. In late September and early October, the terms of the merger agreement were negotiated and drafts were exchanged.

On October 2, 2018, Mr. Maher notified Mr. Hanrahan and Capital Bank’s Chairman of the Board, Dominic J. Romano, by telephone that because of the recent reduction in the market price of OceanFirst common stock, which both OceanFirst and Capital Bank understood to be due to a reduction in bank stock prices generally, OceanFirst was no longer willing to pay $35.00 per share of Capital Bank common stock in the merger. They discussed different options for dealing with the reduction in OceanFirst’s stock price, including delaying the transaction or fixing the exchange ratio at 1.19 shares of OceanFirst common stock for each share of Capital Bank common stock, which, based on the closing price for OceanFirst common stock on October 1, 2018 of $26.98, would equal a purchase price of approximately $32.11 per share.

On October 4, 2018, after discussing the matter with representatives of Boenning, Mr. Hanrahan contacted Mr. Maher and requested that OceanFirst revise its indication of interest to reflect a fixed exchange ratio of 1.25 shares of OceanFirst common stock for each share of Capital Bank stock. After several telephone conversations, on October 6, 2018, OceanFirst agreed to revise its indication of interest to reflect a fixed exchange ratio of 1.25, which, based on the closing price for OceanFirst common stock on October 5, 2018 of $27.08, would equal a purchase price of approximately $33.85.

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On October 10, 2018, Capital Bank received a revised nonbinding indication of interest (which included a proposed extension of the term of the exclusivity agreement to October 26, 2018) from OceanFirst stating that in the merger 1.25 shares of OceanFirst common stock would be exchanged for each share of Capital Bank common stock outstanding at the effective time.

On October 11, 2018, the Capital Bank board met in the evening to review the revised indication of interest (including the proposed exclusivity extension discussed above) and the current draft of the merger agreement. Representatives of Boenning and Stevens & Lee participated in the meeting. Representatives of Stevens & Lee reviewed for the Capital Bank board in detail the terms of the merger agreement as had been negotiated to date and the issues that still needed to be resolved. Representatives of Boenning reviewed with the Capital Bank board the status of the merger, the revised terms of OceanFirst’s indication of interest and the revised value of the merger to Capital Bank stockholders, which at that time was worth $33.28 per share based on the closing price for OceanFirst common stock on October 11, 2018 of $26.62. Representatives of Boenning also advised the Capital Bank board that, in its view, the revised offer set forth in the indication of interest was still likely to be in excess of any offer that might be proposed by other potential bidders. The Capital Bank board approved the revised indication of interest and proposed extension of the exclusivity agreement to October 26, 2018. OceanFirst and Capital Bank signed a letter agreement reflecting such matters on October 11, 2018.

Further negotiations regarding the terms of the merger agreement and further due diligence and analyses were conducted by both OceanFirst and Capital Bank during the weeks of October 8 and October 15. During this time, discussions among the parties occurred regarding amendments to Capital Bank’s existing employment agreements with certain officers, given that the parties desired that all such matters be resolved and agreed upon by all parties and affected executives before the execution of the merger agreement. During these two weeks, Stevens & Lee and Skadden completed negotiations of the terms of the merger agreement and all ancillary documents (including the voting and support agreements) and exchanged and negotiated drafts of disclosure schedules with each other.

On October 24, 2018, the OceanFirst board met to discuss the merger. Representatives of Piper Jaffray & Co., OceanFirst’s financial advisor, and Skadden were present at that meeting. After extensive discussions, including a consideration of the factors described in the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “—OceanFirst’s Reasons for the Merger,” the OceanFirst board unanimously approved the merger agreement.

At a meeting of the Capital Bank board on October 25, 2018, with representatives of Boenning and Stevens & Lee in attendance, a representative of Stevens & Lee presented the terms of the final merger agreement to the Capital Bank board and described the terms of the proposed amendments to the employment agreements between Capital Bank and each of its three executive officers, and the voting and support agreements to be entered into by the directors and such officers. Such Stevens & Lee representative also explained to the Capital Bank board their fiduciary duties, specifically in the context of a change of control. He also discussed the proposed resolutions that the Capital Bank board would approve at this meeting. A representative of Boenning discussed their financial analyses and fairness opinion regarding the merger. He also confirmed Boenning’s previous advice to the Capital Bank board that, in their view, the merger consideration to be received by the holders of Capital Bank common stock in the merger was still likely to be in excess of any offer that might be proposed by other potential bidders. After a discussion with the Capital Bank board regarding the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including a consideration of the factors described in the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “—Capital Bank’s Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Capital Bank Board,” Boenning rendered its written opinion to the Capital Bank board that the merger consideration to be received by the holders of Capital Bank common stock in connection with the merger was fair to such holders from a financial point of view. The Capital Bank board voted unanimously to approve the merger agreement.

Following the completion of the OceanFirst and Capital Bank board meetings, the merger agreement and ancillary documents were executed and delivered. After the close of the market on October 25, 2018, OceanFirst and Capital Bank issued a joint press release announcing the execution of the merger agreement.

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Capital Bank’s Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Capital Bank Board

In reaching the conclusion that the merger agreement is in the best interests of and advisable for Capital Bank and its constituents, including its stockholders, and in approving the merger agreement, the Capital Bank board consulted with senior management, its legal counsel and its financial advisor, and considered a number of factors including, among others, the following, which are not presented in order of priority:

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The Capital Bank board also considered a number of potential risks and uncertainties associated with the merger in connection with its deliberation of the merger, including, without limitation, the following:

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The foregoing discussion of the information and factors considered by the Capital Bank board is not intended to be exhaustive, but includes the material factors considered by the Capital Bank board. In reaching its decision to approve the merger agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, the Capital Bank board did not quantify or assign any relative weights to the factors considered, and individual directors may have given different weights to different factors. The Capital Bank board considered all these factors as a whole, including discussions with, and questioning of, Capital Bank’s management and Capital Bank’s independent financial and legal advisors, and overall considered the factors to be favorable to, and to support, its determination.

Capital Bank stockholders should be aware that Capital Bank’s directors and executive officers have interests in the merger that are different from, or in addition to, those of other Capital Bank stockholders. The Capital Bank board was aware of and considered these interests, among other matters, in evaluating and negotiating the merger agreement and in recommending that the merger proposal be approved by the Capital Bank stockholders. See “—Interests of Capital Bank’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger.”

This summary of the reasoning of the Capital Bank board and other information presented in this section includes information that is forward-looking in nature and, therefore, should be read in light of the factors discussed under the heading “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Opinion of Boenning & Scattergood, Inc., Capital Bank’s Financial Advisor

Capital Bank engaged Boenning to render financial advisory and investment banking services to Capital Bank, including rendering an opinion to the Capital Bank board as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to the holders of Capital Bank common stock of the merger consideration to be received in the merger. Capital Bank selected Boenning because Boenning is a nationally recognized investment banking firm with substantial experience in transactions similar to the merger. As part of its investment banking business, Boenning is continually engaged in the valuation of financial services businesses and their securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions.

As part of its engagement, representatives of Boenning attended the meeting of the Capital Bank board held on October 25, 2018 at which the Capital Bank board evaluated the merger. At this meeting, Boenning reviewed the financial aspects of the proposed merger and rendered an opinion to the effect that, as of such date and subject to the procedures followed, assumptions made, matters considered and qualifications and limitations on the review undertaken by Boenning as set forth in such opinion, the merger consideration to be received in the merger was fair, from a financial point of view, to the holders of Capital Bank common stock. The Capital Bank board adopted the merger agreement at this meeting.

The following description of the Boenning fairness opinion is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the opinion, which is attached as Annex D to this proxy statement/prospectus and is incorporated herein by reference, and describes the procedures followed, assumptions made, matters considered and qualifications and limitations on the review undertaken by Boenning in preparing the opinion.

Boenning’s opinion speaks only as of the date of the opinion. The opinion was for the information of, and was directed to, the Capital Bank board (in its capacity as such) in connection with its consideration of the financial terms of the merger. The opinion addressed only the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the merger consideration to be received in the merger by holders of Capital Bank common stock. It did not address the underlying business decision of Capital Bank to engage in the merger or enter into the merger agreement or constitute a recommendation to the Capital Bank board in connection with the merger, and it does not constitute a recommendation to any holder of Capital Bank common stock or any stockholder of any other entity as to how to vote in connection with the merger or any other matter, nor does it constitute a recommendation as to whether or not any such stockholder should enter into a voting, stockholders’, affiliates’ or other agreement with respect to the merger or exercise any dissenters’ or appraisal rights that may be available to such stockholder.

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Boenning’s opinion was reviewed and approved by Boenning’s Fairness Opinion Committee in conformity with its policies and procedures established under the requirements of Rule 5150 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

In connection with rendering the opinion described above, Boenning reviewed, analyzed and relied upon material bearing upon the financial and operating condition of Capital Bank and OceanFirst and bearing upon the merger, including, among other things:

Boenning’s consideration of financial information and other factors that it deemed appropriate under the circumstances or relevant to its analyses included, among others, the following:

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Boenning also performed such other studies and analyses as it considered appropriate and took into account its assessment of general economic, market and financial conditions and its experience in other transactions, as well as its experience in securities valuation and knowledge of the banking industry generally. Boenning also participated in discussions that were held by the respective managements of Capital Bank and OceanFirst regarding the past and current business operations, regulatory relations, financial condition and future prospects of each of their respective companies and such other matters as Boenning deemed relevant to its inquiry.

In conducting its review and arriving at its opinion, Boenning relied upon and assumed the accuracy and completeness of all of the financial and other information that was provided to it or that was publicly available and did not independently verify the accuracy or completeness of any such information or assume any responsibility or liability for such verification, accuracy or completeness. Boenning relied upon the management of Capital Bank as to the reasonableness and achievability of the publicly available consensus “street estimates” of OceanFirst (and the assumed long-term growth rates of Capital Bank and OceanFirst) referred to above that were provided to or otherwise discussed with Boenning by Capital Bank and OceanFirst management, and that in each case Boenning was directed by Capital Bank management to use. Boenning further relied upon Capital Bank management as to the reasonableness and achievability of the estimates regarding relevant pro forma financial impact of the merger on OceanFirst (including, without limitation, the cost savings and related expenses expected to result or be derived from the merger) referred to above. Boenning assumed, at the direction of Capital Bank management, that all of the foregoing information was reasonably prepared on bases reflecting, or in the case of the OceanFirst publicly available “street estimates” referred to above that such estimates were consistent with, the best currently available estimates and judgments of the respective management teams of Capital Bank and OceanFirst, and that the forecasts, projections and estimates reflected in such information would be realized in the amounts and in the time periods estimated. Accordingly, with the consent of the Capital Bank board, in rendering its opinion, Boenning’s reliance upon Capital Bank management as to the reasonableness and achievability of such information included reliance upon the judgments and assessments of the Capital Bank and Capital Bank management with respect to such information.

It is understood that the forecasts and estimates of Capital Bank and OceanFirst provided to Boenning were not prepared with the expectation of public disclosure and that such information, together with the publicly available consensus “street estimates” referred to above that Boenning was directed to use, was based on numerous variables and assumptions that are inherently uncertain, including, without limitation, factors related to general economic and competitive conditions and that, accordingly, actual results could vary significantly from those set forth in such information. Boenning assumed, based on discussions with the respective managements of Capital Bank and OceanFirst and with the consent of the Capital Bank board, that all such information provided a reasonable basis upon which Boenning could form its opinion and Boenning expressed no view as to any such information or the assumptions or bases therefor. Boenning relied on all such information without independent verification or analysis and did not in any respect assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness thereof.

Boenning also assumed that there were no material changes in the assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, business or prospects of either Capital Bank or OceanFirst since the date of the last financial statements of each such entity that were made available to Boenning and that Boenning was directed to use. Boenning is not an expert in the independent verification of the adequacy of allowances for loan and lease losses and Boenning assumed, without independent verification and with Capital Bank’s consent, that the aggregate allowances for loan and lease losses for each of Capital Bank and OceanFirst are adequate to cover such losses. In rendering its opinion, Boenning did not make or obtain any evaluations or appraisals or physical inspection of the property, assets or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of Capital Bank or OceanFirst, the collateral securing any of such assets or liabilities, or the collectability of any such assets, nor did Boenning examine any individual

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loan or credit files, nor did it evaluate the solvency, financial capability or fair value of Capital Bank or OceanFirst under any state or federal laws, including those relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or other matters. Estimates of values of companies and assets do not purport to be appraisals or necessarily reflect the prices at which companies or assets may actually be sold. Because such estimates are inherently subject to uncertainty, Boenning assumed no responsibility or liability for their accuracy.

Boenning assumed, in all respects material to its analyses:

Boenning assumed that the merger would be consummated in a manner that complied with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and all other applicable federal and state statutes, rules and regulations. Boenning was further advised by representatives of Capital Bank that the Capital Bank board relied upon advice from its advisors (other than Boenning) or other appropriate sources as to all legal, financial reporting, tax, accounting and regulatory matters with respect to Capital Bank, OceanFirst, the merger and any related transaction and the merger agreement. Boenning did not provide advice with respect to any such matters.

Boenning’s opinion addressed only the fairness, from a financial point of view, as of the date of such opinion, of the merger consideration to be received in the merger by the holders of Capital Bank common stock. Boenning expressed no view or opinion as to any other terms or aspects of the merger or any term or aspect of any related transaction, including without limitation, the form or structure of the merger or any related transaction, any consequences of the merger to Capital Bank, its stockholders, creditors or otherwise, or any terms, aspects, merits or implications of any employment, retention, consulting, voting, support, cooperation, stockholder or other agreements, arrangements or understandings contemplated or entered into in connection with the merger, any related transaction or otherwise. Boenning’s opinion was necessarily based upon conditions as they existed and could be evaluated on the date of such opinion and the information made available to Boenning through such date. Developments subsequent to the date of Boenning’s opinion may have affected, and may affect, the conclusion reached in Boenning’s opinion, and Boenning did not and does not have an obligation to update, revise or reaffirm its opinion. Boenning’s opinion did not address, and Boenning expressed no view or opinion with respect to:

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The Boenning opinion was among several factors taken into consideration by the Capital Bank board in making its determination to approve the merger agreement and the merger. Consequently, the analyses described below should not be viewed as determinative of the decision of the Capital Bank board with respect to the fairness of the merger consideration to be paid in the merger to the holders of Capital Bank common stock. The type and amount of consideration payable in the merger were determined through negotiation between Capital Bank and OceanFirst, and the decision for Capital Bank to enter into the merger agreement was solely that of the Capital Bank board.

The following is a summary of the material financial analyses presented by Boenning to the Capital Bank board in connection with its opinion. The summary is not a complete description of the financial analyses underlying the opinion or the presentation made by Boenning to the Capital Bank board, but summarizes the material analyses performed and presented in connection with such opinion. The financial analyses summarized below include information presented in tabular format. The tables alone do not constitute a complete description of the financial analyses. The preparation of a fairness opinion is a complex analytic process involving various determinations as to appropriate and relevant methods of financial analysis and the application of those methods to the particular circumstances. Therefore, a fairness opinion is not readily susceptible to partial analysis or summary description. In arriving at its opinion, Boenning did not attribute any particular weight to any analysis or factor that it considered, but rather made qualitative judgments as to the significance and relevance of each analysis and factor. Accordingly, Boenning believes that its analyses and the summary of its analyses must be considered as a whole and that selecting portions of its analyses and factors or focusing on the information presented below in tabular format, without considering all analyses and factors or the full narrative description of the financial analyses, including the methodologies and assumptions underlying the analyses, could create a misleading or incomplete view of the process underlying its analyses and opinion.

Implied Transaction Multiples ⁽¹⁾

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Capital Bank Selected Companies Analysis. Using publicly available information, Boenning compared the financial performance, financial condition and market performance of Capital Bank to 17 major exchange-traded banks and bank holding companies (i) with total assets between $400 million and $600 million with a median of $463 million, (ii) headquartered in the Mid-Atlantic and (iii) excluding companies that are in the process of being acquired (we collectively refer to such banks and bank holding companies as “Capital Bank selected companies”).

The Capital Bank selected companies were as follows:

To perform this analysis, Boenning used profitability data and other financial information as of, or for the most recent quarter (which we refer to as “MRQ”) ended, June 30, 2018 or March 31, 2018 and market price information as of October 22, 2018. Certain financial data prepared by Boenning, as referenced in the tables presented below, may not correspond to the data set forth in Capital Bank’s historical financial statements as a result of the different periods, assumptions and methods used by Boenning to compute the financial data presented.

Boenning’s analysis showed the following concerning the financial condition and performance of Capital Bank and the Capital Bank selected companies:

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In addition, Boenning’s analysis showed the following concerning the market performance of the Capital Bank selected companies:

None of the Capital Bank selected companies used as a comparison in the above analyses is identical to Capital Bank. Accordingly, an analysis of these results is not mathematical. Rather, it involves complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in financial and operating characteristics of the companies involved.

In addition, Boenning’s analysis compared deal multiples to the pricing multiples for the Capital Bank selected companies. To account for an equity control premium, Boenning applied a 28.4% premium based on the median 1-day stock price premium for all bank and thrift M&A deals since January 1, 2017.

Boenning used publicly available information to perform a similar analysis for OceanFirst by comparing selected financial information for OceanFirst with a group of financial institutions selected by Boenning (which we refer to collectively as the “OceanFirst Peer Group”). The OceanFirst Peer Group included 12 publicly traded banks and thrifts headquartered in the Mid-Atlantic with total assets between $6.0 billion and $10.0 billion, excluding merger targets and MHCs. The OceanFirst Peer Group consisted of the following companies:

To perform this analysis, Boenning used profitability data and other financial information as of, or for the MRQ ended, June 30, 2018 or March 31, 2018 and market price information as of October 22, 2018. Certain financial data prepared by Boenning, as referenced in the tables presented below, may not correspond to the data presented in OceanFirst’s historical financial statements as a result of the different periods, assumptions and methods used by Boenning to compute the financial data presented.

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Boenning’s analysis showed the following concerning the financial condition and performance of OceanFirst and the OceanFirst Peer Group for the MRQ:

In addition, Boenning’s analysis showed the following concerning the market performance of the OceanFirst Peer Group:

Select Transactions Analysis. Boenning reviewed publicly available information related to three sets of selected U.S. bank transactions:

All three sets of transactions exclude investor recapitalization transactions and transactions without disclosed deal values.

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National group

Regional group

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Performance group

For each selected transaction, Boenning derived the following implied transaction statistics, in each case based on the transaction consideration value paid for the acquired company and using financial data based on the acquired company’s then-latest publicly available financial statements:

The above transaction statistics for the selected transactions were compared with the corresponding transaction statistics for the merger based on the implied transaction value for the merger of $84.6 million and using preliminary historical financial information for Capital Bank as of or for the LTM ended June 30, 2018 provided by Capital Bank’s management.

The results of the analysis are set forth in the following tables:

National group

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Regional group

Performance group

No company or transaction used as a comparison in the above selected transactions analysis is identical to Capital Bank or the merger. Accordingly, an analysis of these results is not mathematical. Rather, it involves complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in financial and operating characteristics of the companies involved.

Capital Bank Net Present Value Analysis. Boenning performed an analysis that estimated the net present value per share of Capital Bank common stock, assuming Capital Bank performed in accordance with management provided projections for the years ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019 and cash dividend and long-term annual earnings per share growth rate assumptions for Capital Bank for the years ending December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2023. To approximate the terminal value of a share of Capital Bank common stock at December 31, 2023, Boenning applied price to 2023 earnings multiples ranging from 11.0x to 15.0x with a midpoint of 13.0x and price to December 31, 2023 tangible book value ratios ranging from 1.21x to 1.45x with a midpoint of 1.33x. The terminal values were then discounted to present values using a discount rate of 13.0%, which was determined using the average of the Capital Asset Pricing Model, Build-Up Method, and comparable company returns on tangible common equity. The following tables illustrate an implied valuation range based on EPS growth and Terminal multiples.

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Illustrative Net Present Value Sensitivity to Earnings Growth and EPS Multiple

2023 Earnings Per Share Multiples

Illustrative Net Present Value Sensitivity to Earnings Growth and Tangible Book Multiple

2023 Tangible Book Multiples

Pro Forma Financial Impact Analysis. Boenning performed a pro forma financial impact analysis that combined projected income statement and balance sheet information of OceanFirst and Capital Bank. Using closing balance sheet estimates as of March 31, 2019 for OceanFirst and Capital Bank provided by Capital Bank’s management, EPS consensus “street estimates” for OceanFirst for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, assumed long-term earnings growth rates provided by Capital Bank’s management, and pro forma assumptions (including, without limitation, the cost savings and related expenses expected to result from the merger) provided by the senior management of OceanFirst, Boenning analyzed the estimated financial impact of the merger on certain projected financial results. This analysis indicated that the merger could be accretive to OceanFirst’s 2019 and 2020 estimated EPS. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that, pro forma for the merger, OceanFirst’s tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio, leverage ratio, common equity Tier 1 ratio, Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, and total risk-based capital ratio at closing could be above well capitalized levels. For all of the above analysis, the actual results achieved by OceanFirst following the merger may vary from the projected results, and the variations may be material.

Miscellaneous. Boenning acted as financial advisor to Capital Bank in connection with the merger and did not act as an advisor to or agent of any other person. As part of its investment banking business, Boenning is continually engaged in the valuation of bank and bank holding company securities in connection with acquisitions, negotiated underwritings, secondary distributions of listed and unlisted securities, private placements and valuations for various other purposes. As specialists in the securities of banking companies, Boenning has experience in, and knowledge of, the valuation of banking enterprises. In the ordinary course of its and their broker-dealer businesses, and further to certain existing sales and trading relationships between Capital Bank and certain Boenning affiliates, Boenning and its affiliates may from time to time purchase securities from, and sell securities to, Capital Bank and OceanFirst, and as a market maker in securities, Boenning and its affiliates may from time to time have a long or short position in, and buy or sell, debt or equity securities of Capital Bank or OceanFirst for its and their own accounts and for the accounts of its and their respective customers and clients. Boenning employees and employees of Boenning affiliates may also from time to time maintain individual positions in Capital Bank common stock and OceanFirst common stock, which positions currently include an individual position in shares of Capital Bank common stock held by a senior member of the Boenning advisory team providing services to Capital Bank in connection with the merger.

Pursuant to the Boenning engagement agreement, Capital Bank agreed to pay Boenning a non-refundable cash fee equal to 1.20% of the aggregate merger consideration, $15,000 of which became payable upon retention of

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Boenning, $50,000 of which became payable concurrently with the rendering of Boenning’s opinion and the balance of which is contingent upon the consummation of the merger. Boenning’s fee for rendering the fairness opinion was not contingent upon Boenning reaching any particular conclusion. Capital Bank also agreed to reimburse Boenning for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements incurred in connection with its engagement and to indemnify Boenning against certain liabilities relating to or arising out of Boenning’s engagement or Boenning’s role in connection therewith.

Boenning has not had any material relationship with OceanFirst during the past two years in which compensation was received or was intended to be received. Boenning has provided no investment banking services to Capital Bank during the past two years in which compensation was received or was intended to be received. Boenning may provide services to OceanFirst in the future (and/or to Capital Bank if the merger is not consummated), although as of the date of Boenning’s opinion, there is no agreement to do so nor any mutual understanding that such services are contemplated.

OceanFirst’s Reasons for the Merger

After careful consideration, the OceanFirst board, at a meeting held on October 24, 2018, unanimously approved the merger agreement.

In reaching its decision to approve the merger agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, the OceanFirst board evaluated the merger agreement and the merger in consultation with OceanFirst management, as well as OceanFirst’s legal counsel and financial advisor, and considered a number of factors in favor of the merger, including the following material factors, which are not presented in order of priority:

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The OceanFirst board also considered potential risks associated with the merger in connection with its deliberations of the merger, including (i) the potential risk of diverting management attention and resources from the operation of OceanFirst’s business and towards the completion of the merger; (ii) the potential risks associated with achieving anticipated cost synergies and savings and successfully integrating Capital Bank’s business, operations and workforce with those of OceanFirst; and (iii) the other risks identified in the sections of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 17 and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” beginning on page 23.

The foregoing discussion of the factors considered by the OceanFirst board is not intended to be exhaustive, but, rather, includes the material factors considered by the OceanFirst board. In reaching its decision to approve the merger agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. The OceanFirst board did not quantify or assign any relative weights to the factors considered, and individual directors may have given different weights to different factors. The OceanFirst board considered all these factors as a whole and overall considered the factors to be favorable to, and to support, its determination. It should be noted that this explanation of the OceanFirst board’s reasoning and all other information presented in this section is forward-looking in nature and, therefore, should be read in light of the factors discussed under the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” beginning on page 23.

Interests of Capital Bank’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

When Capital Bank stockholders are considering the recommendation of the Capital Bank board in connection with the merger proposal, they should be aware that some of the directors and executive officers of Capital Bank have interests that are in addition to, or different from, the interests of Capital Bank stockholders generally. The Capital Bank board was aware of these interests and considered them, among other matters, in approving the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

The following discussion describes any interests in the merger of each person who has served as a director or an executive officer of Capital Bank since January 1, 2017. Except as described below, to the knowledge of Capital Bank, the directors and executive officers of Capital Bank do not have any substantial interest, direct or indirect, by security holdings or otherwise, in the merger apart from their interests as stockholders of Capital Bank. The amounts presented in the following discussion do not reflect the impact of applicable withholding or other taxes.

Treatment of Restricted Stock Awards

Capital Bank’s chairman of the board and its executive officers have received awards of shares of restricted stock from time to time since 2013. Award holders may not transfer unvested shares of restricted stock, but may vote and receive dividends on all shares of restricted stock, whether vested or unvested. At the effective time, each unvested share of restricted stock will fully vest and the restrictions on those restricted stock awards will lapse, and each holder of restricted stock will be entitled to receive the merger consideration in exchange for the cancellation of such shares.

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The following table sets forth, as of November 30, 2018, the number of shares of Capital Bank common stock underlying the unvested restricted stock awards held by the chairman and each executive officer of Capital Bank, as well as the OceanFirst shares to be received in the merger in exchange for such shares.

Payments Under Employment Agreement Amendments with Capital Bank

In connection with the execution of the merger agreement, Mr. Hanrahan, Mr. Lobosco and Mr. Rehm each entered into an amendment to his respective existing employment agreement with Capital Bank. OceanFirst Bank executed a joinder to each amendment agreeing to be bound by its terms effective as of the effective time. Pursuant to their respective employment agreements, as amended:

These payments will be subject to applicable tax withholdings. If the merger agreement is terminated prior to the effective time, these amendment agreements will expire and be of no further effect and the terms of the executives’ existing employment agreements will be reinstated.

Golden Parachute Compensation

The following table shows the estimated amounts of payments that Mr. Hanrahan, Mr. Lobosco and Mr. Rehm will be entitled to receive in connection with the merger, under their respective employment agreements, as amended, with Capital Bank (and, as of the effective time and consummation of the merger, OceanFirst Bank). The below assumes consummation of the merger occurred on November 30, 2018 and that each individual incurred a qualifying termination on such date.

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Indemnification and Insurance of Directors and Officers

Pursuant to the merger agreement, OceanFirst will indemnify and hold harmless each present and former officer, director or employee of Capital Bank and its subsidiaries against any costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, losses, damages or liabilities incurred in connection with any threatened or actual claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation arising out of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer or employee of Capital Bank or any of its subsidiaries and pertaining to matters existing or occurring at or prior to the effective time, including the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, to the fullest extent which such persons are entitled to be indemnified as of the date of the merger agreement by Capital Bank pursuant to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws or the governing or organizational documents of any subsidiary of Capital Bank applicable to such person.

OceanFirst has also agreed to advance expenses as incurred by such indemnified party to the fullest extent such persons are entitled to advancement of expenses as of the date of the merger agreement by Capital Bank pursuant to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws or the governing or organizational documents of any subsidiary of Capital Bank applicable to such person; provided that, if requested by OceanFirst, the indemnified party to whom expenses are advanced provides an undertaking to repay such advances if it is determined in a final determination or by a court of competent jurisdiction that such indemnified party is not entitled to indemnification.

In addition, OceanFirst has agreed to maintain the current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy of Capital Bank, subject to certain exceptions, for six years after the effective time with respect to claims against such directors, officers and employees arising from facts or events that occurred before the effective time; provided that, OceanFirst is not obligated to pay, on an annual basis, an amount in excess of 250% of the current annual premium paid as of the date of the merger agreement by Capital Bank for such insurance. For additional information see the section entitled “The Merger Agreement — Director and Officer Indemnification and Insurance” beginning on page 65 of this proxy statement/prospectus.

Share Ownership

As of December 5, 2018, the record date, the directors and executive officers of Capital Bank may be deemed to be the beneficial owners of 376,742 shares, representing 14.7% of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock, including 14,750 shares subject to exercisable options to purchase shares of Capital Bank common stock. Effective as of the effective time, as Capital Bank stockholders, the directors and executive officers will be entitled to receive the merger consideration for their shares of Capital Bank common stock. As option holders, they will be entitled to receive cash (without interest) equal to the product of (a) the aggregate number of shares of Capital Bank common stock issuable upon exercise of the option and (b) the excess, if any, of (i) the product of the exchange ratio and the VWAP of OceanFirst’s common stock on the NASDAQ for the five full trading days ending on the last trading day preceding the closing date of the merger over (ii) the per-share exercise price of such Capital Bank stock option, which will be payable as soon as practicable after the effective time.

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Trading Markets

OceanFirst common stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol “OCFC.” It is a condition to each party’s obligations to complete the merger that the OceanFirst common stock to be issued pursuant to the merger agreement be authorized for listing on the NASDAQ (subject to official notice of issuance). Immediately following the completion of the merger, shares of OceanFirst common stock will continue to be traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “OCFC.”

Capital Bank common stock is traded on the OTC Pink under the symbol “CANJ.” Upon completion of the merger, Capital Bank common stock will cease to be traded on the OTC Pink.

Dividend Policy

OceanFirst currently pays a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per share, which is expected to continue, although the OceanFirst board may change this dividend policy at any time. OceanFirst stockholders will be entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by the OceanFirst board out of funds legally available for dividends. The OceanFirst board will consider OceanFirst’s financial condition and level of net income, future prospects, economic condition, industry practices and other factors, including applicable banking laws and regulations, in determining whether to pay dividends in the future and the amount of such dividends.

OceanFirst’s principal source of income is dividends that are declared and paid by OceanFirst Bank on its capital stock. Therefore, OceanFirst’s ability to pay dividends is dependent upon the receipt of dividends from OceanFirst Bank. Insured depository institutions such as OceanFirst Bank are prohibited from making capital distributions, including the payment of dividends, if, after making such distribution, the institution would become “undercapitalized,” as such term is defined in the applicable law and regulations. In the future, any declaration and payment of cash dividends will be subject to the OceanFirst board’s evaluation of OceanFirst’s operating results, financial condition, future growth plans, general business and economic conditions, and tax and other relevant considerations. The payment of cash dividends by OceanFirst in the future will also be subject to certain other legal and regulatory limitations and ongoing review by the OceanFirst’s banking regulators.

Dissenters’ Rights

General

Capital Bank stockholders may dissent from the merger in accordance with 12 U.S.C. § 215a, which are the controlling provisions relating to the dissenters’ rights of Capital Bank stockholders in light of Section 17:9A-148 of the New Jersey Revised Statutes, which provides that federal law, rather than the NJ Banking Act, will be controlling with respect to stockholders’ rights in the merger of a New Jersey bank with and into a national banking association, such as OceanFirst Bank. If the merger is completed, under 12 U.S.C. § 215a, holders of Capital Bank common stock are entitled to dissent from the merger and obtain payment of the fair value of their shares in cash (together with accrued interest) instead of receiving the merger consideration they would otherwise be entitled to receive pursuant to the merger agreement as long as such holders comply with the statutorily prescribed procedures. The appraised value of the Capital Bank common stock may differ from the consideration that, as of the effective time, a stockholder of Capital Bank will be entitled to receive in the merger. The following summarizes the material rights of holders of Capital Bank common stock under 12 U.S.C. § 215a. You should read the applicable sections of 12 U.S.C. § 215a, a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex B. The summary below is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of 12 U.S.C. § 215a.

If you are contemplating the possibility of exercising your dissenters’ rights in connection with the merger, you should carefully review the full text of 12 U.S.C. § 215a and consult legal counsel before attempting to exercise dissenters’ rights. If you do not fully and precisely satisfy the procedural requirements of 12 U.S.C. § 215a, you will lose your dissenters’ rights. If any holder of shares of Capital Bank common stock who asserts dissenters’

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rights withdraws or loses (through failure to perfect or otherwise) the right to obtain payment for such holder’s shares under 12 U.S.C. § 215a, then such stockholder’s shares will be converted, or will be treated as if they had been converted, into the right to receive the merger consideration, without interest and subject to any applicable withholding of taxes if the merger is completed. Capital Bank will not provide you with any notice regarding your dissenters’ rights other than as described in this proxy statement/prospectus and the notice of special meeting included with this proxy statement/prospectus.

Requirements for Exercising Dissenters’ Rights

Under 12 U.S.C. § 215a, a Capital Bank stockholder may dissent from the merger by (i) voting against the merger or giving notice in writing at or prior to the special meeting to the presiding officer of Capital Bank that he, she or it dissents from the merger (and, pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, subsequently such stockholder must not vote for the merger), and (ii) making a written request to OceanFirst to receive the value of such stockholder’s shares of Capital Bank common stock, which request must be made within 30 days after the effective time and must be accompanied by the surrender of the stockholder’s stock certificates.

The appraised value of the shares held by any dissenting Capital Bank stockholder will be determined as of the effective time by an appraisal made by a committee of three persons composed of (i) one person selected by majority vote of the dissenting Capital Bank stockholders entitled to receive the value of their shares of Capital Bank common stock in cash, (ii) one person selected by the OceanFirst board and (iii) one person selected by the appraisers selected pursuant to subclauses (i) and (ii) (each, an “appraiser”). The valuation agreed upon by any two of the three appraisers will govern. However, if the appraised value is not satisfactory to any eligible dissenting Capital Bank stockholder, that Capital Bank stockholder may, within five days of being notified of the appraised value of his, her or its shares, appeal to the OCC who will cause a reappraisal to be made, which will be final and binding as to the value of the shares of the dissenting stockholder who has appealed to the OCC.

If, within 90 days from the effective time, for any reason one or more of the three appraisers is not selected as provided by 12 U.S.C. § 215a, or the appraisers fail to determine the appraised value of the dissenting shares, the OCC may, upon written request of any interested party, cause an appraisal to be made, which will be final and binding on all parties. OceanFirst will promptly pay the amount equal to the appraised value of shares, as ascertained under 12 U.S.C. § 215a. The expenses of the OCC in making the appraisal or reappraisal will be paid by OceanFirst.

The foregoing summary is not intended to be a complete statement of the procedures necessary for exercising dissenters’ rights under 12 U.S.C. § 215a and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such provisions, a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex B. Capital Bank urges any stockholders wishing to exercise dissenters’ rights to read this summary and the full text of 12 U.S.C. § 215a carefully, and to consult legal counsel before attempting to exercise dissenters’ rights. Failure to comply strictly with all of the procedures set forth in 12 U.S.C. § 215a may result in the loss of your statutory dissenters’ rights.

Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger

Completion of the merger is subject to receipt of regulatory approval of the merger or waiver of such approval from the OCC, without certain conditions being imposed as part of a regulatory approval that would reasonably be expected to result in a materially burdensome regulatory condition. Other approvals, waivers or consents from governmental and regulatory authorities may also be required. Subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, OceanFirst and Capital Bank have agreed to cooperate with each other and use their respective reasonable best efforts to promptly prepare and file all necessary documentation and to obtain as promptly as practicable all regulatory approvals necessary or advisable to complete the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, which includes approval (or waiver of such approval) from the OCC. OceanFirst submitted an application to the OCC on November 9, 2018, for approval of the merger. As of the date of this proxy statement/

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prospectus, OCC approval has not yet been granted. OCC approval (if granted) for the merger: (i) would reflect only its view that the transaction does not contravene applicable competitive standards imposed by law and is consistent with regulatory policies relating to safety and soundness; (ii) would not be an OCC opinion that the merger is financially favorable to the stockholders or that the OCC has considered the adequacy of the terms of the transaction; and (iii) would not be an endorsement of, or recommendation for, the merger. Although neither Capital Bank nor OceanFirst knows of any reason why it cannot obtain this regulatory approval in a timely manner, Capital Bank and OceanFirst cannot be certain when, or if, it will be obtained.

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

OceanFirst Bank is an insured depository institution regulated and supervised by the OCC. The merger of Capital Bank with and into OceanFirst Bank requires prior approval of the OCC under the National Bank Act and Section 18(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (which we refer to as the “Bank Merger Act”). In evaluating an application for such approval, the OCC takes into consideration a number of factors, including (i) the competitive impact of the transaction; (ii) financial and managerial resources of the bank parties to the merger on a current and pro forma basis; (iii) the convenience and needs of the community to be served and the record of the banks under the Community Reinvestment Act (which we refer to as the “CRA”), including their CRA ratings; (iv) the banks’ effectiveness in combating money laundering activities; and (v) the extent to which the merger would result in greater or more concentrated risks to the stability of the U.S. banking or financial system. In connection with its review, the OCC provides an opportunity for public comment on the application and is authorized to hold a public meeting or other proceeding if it determines that would be appropriate.

Additional Regulatory Approvals and Notices

OceanFirst and Capital Bank believe that the merger does not raise substantial antitrust or other significant regulatory concerns and that the parties to the merger will be able to obtain all requisite regulatory approvals. However, neither OceanFirst nor Capital Bank can assure you that all of the regulatory approvals described above will be obtained and, if obtained, OceanFirst and Capital Bank cannot assure you as to the timing of any such approvals, their ability to obtain the approvals on satisfactory terms or the absence of any litigation challenging such approvals. In addition, there can be no assurance that such approvals will not impose conditions or requirements that, individually or in the aggregate, would or could reasonably be expected to have a materially burdensome regulatory condition.

Neither OceanFirst nor Capital Bank is aware of any material governmental approvals or actions that are required for completion of the merger other than those described above. It is presently contemplated that if any such additional governmental approvals or actions are required, those approvals or actions will be sought. There can be no assurance, however, that any additional approvals or actions will be obtained.

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THE MERGER AGREEMENT

The following description of the merger agreement is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the express terms of the merger agreement, which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A and is incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus. We urge you to read the merger agreement carefully and in its entirety, as it is the legal document governing the merger.

Structure of the Merger

Each of the OceanFirst board and the Capital Bank board has unanimously approved the merger agreement. The merger agreement provides for the merger of Capital Bank with and into OceanFirst Bank, with OceanFirst Bank continuing as the surviving bank in the merger and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of OceanFirst.

Merger Consideration

Subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, at the effective time, each share of Capital Bank common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time, except for specified shares of Capital Bank common stock owned by Capital Bank, OceanFirst or stockholders who have properly exercised dissenters’ rights, will be converted into the right to receive 1.25 shares of OceanFirst common stock.

If the amount of outstanding shares of OceanFirst common stock or Capital Bank common stock is increased, decreased, changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or securities as a result of a reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar change in capitalization, or if there is any extraordinary dividend or distribution, an appropriate and proportionate adjustment will be made to the exchange ratio.

Fractional Shares

OceanFirst will not issue any fractional shares of OceanFirst common stock in the merger. Instead, any Capital Bank stockholder who otherwise would have been entitled to receive a fraction of a share of OceanFirst common stock will instead be entitled to receive an amount in cash, rounded to the nearest cent, determined by multiplying the fraction of a share (rounded to the nearest thousandth when expressed in decimal form) of OceanFirst common stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled by the VWAP per share of OceanFirst common stock on the NASDAQ for the five full trading days ending on the last trading day preceding the closing date of the merger.

Governing Documents; Directors and Officers

Upon consummation of the merger, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of OceanFirst Bank in effect immediately prior to the effective time will be the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the surviving bank after completion of the merger, until thereafter amended in accordance with applicable law and the terms of such documents.

Upon consummation of the merger, the directors and officers of OceanFirst Bank in office immediately prior to the effective time will be the directors and officers of the surviving bank after completion of the merger, until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified.

Dissenters’ Rights

If the merger is completed, Capital Bank stockholders who do not vote in favor of the merger proposal and follow certain procedural steps will be entitled to dissenters’ rights under 12 U.S.C. § 215a, provided they take the steps required to perfect their rights under 12 U.S.C. § 215a. For more information regarding dissenters’ rights, see “The Merger — Dissenters’ Rights” beginning on page 53. In addition, a copy of 12 U.S.C. § 215a is attached as Annex B to this proxy statement/prospectus.

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It is a condition to OceanFirst’s obligation to complete the merger that the holders of not more than 10% of the outstanding shares of Capital Bank common stock exercise dissenters’ rights.

Treatment of Capital Bank Restricted Stock and Stock Option Awards

Restricted Stock

At the effective time, each outstanding restricted stock award in respect of shares of Capital Bank common stock will fully vest and the restrictions on those restricted stock awards will lapse, and each holder of such restricted stock award will be entitled to receive the merger consideration in respect of the cancellation of each share of Capital Bank common stock subject to such Capital Bank restricted stock award no later than 10 business days after the effective time.

Stock Options

At the effective time, each outstanding and unexercised option (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Capital Bank common stock will be cancelled and exchanged for a payment in cash (without interest) equal to the product of (a) the aggregate number of shares of Capital Bank common stock issuable upon exercise of the option and (b) the excess, if any, of (i) the product of the exchange ratio and the VWAP of OceanFirst’s common stock on the NASDAQ for the five full trading days ending on the last trading day preceding the closing date of the merger over (ii) the per-share exercise price of such Capital Bank stock option. The cash payment is payable as soon as practicable after the effective time.

Closing and Effective Time

The merger will be completed only if all conditions to the merger set forth in the merger agreement (as discussed in this proxy statement/prospectus) are either satisfied or waived. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “ — Conditions to Complete the Merger.”

The merger will become effective as of the date and time specified in the certificate issued by the OCC. The closing of the merger will take place at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the last business day of the first month after December 2018 in which the conditions set forth in the merger agreement have been satisfied or waived, unless another date or time is agreed to in writing by OceanFirst and Capital Bank. OceanFirst and Capital Bank currently expect to complete the merger in the first quarter of 2019, subject to the requisite approval of the Capital Bank stockholders, the receipt of regulatory approvals or waivers (and expiration of any applicable waiting period) and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement, but neither Capital Bank nor OceanFirst can guarantee when, or if, the merger will be completed.

Conversion of Shares; Exchange of Certificates

The conversion of Capital Bank common stock into the right to receive the merger consideration will occur automatically at the effective time. Promptly following completion of the merger, the exchange agent will exchange certificates representing shares of Capital Bank common stock for the merger consideration to be received pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement.

Letter of Transmittal

As promptly as practicable after the effective time, and in no event later than five business days after the effective time, the exchange agent will mail to each holder of record of Capital Bank common stock immediately prior to the effective time a letter of transmittal and instructions on how to surrender shares of Capital Bank common stock in exchange for the merger consideration that the holder is entitled to receive under the merger agreement.

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If a certificate for Capital Bank common stock has been lost, stolen or destroyed, the exchange agent will issue the merger consideration upon receipt of (i) an affidavit of that fact by the claimant and (ii) if required by the exchange agent, the posting of a bond in an amount as the exchange agent may require.

Following completion of the merger, there will be no further transfers on the stock transfer books of Capital Bank of shares of Capital Bank common stock that were issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time.

Withholding

OceanFirst and OceanFirst Bank will be entitled to deduct and withhold, including by requesting that the exchange agent deduct and withhold, from the merger consideration, any cash in lieu of fractional shares of OceanFirst common stock, cash dividends or distributions payable or any other amount payable under the merger agreement to any person the amounts they are required to deduct and withhold under the Code or any provision of state, local or foreign tax law. If any such amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate governmental authority, these amounts will be treated for all purposes of the merger agreement as having been paid to the person from whom they were withheld.

Dividends and Distributions

No dividends or other distributions declared with respect to OceanFirst common stock with a record date after the effective time will be paid to any holder of any unsurrendered certificates of Capital Bank common stock until the holder surrenders such certificate in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement. After the surrender of a certificate in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, the record holder of such certificate will be entitled to receive any such dividends or other distributions having a record date after the effective time, without any interest thereon, which became payable with respect to the stock consideration that the shares of Capital Bank common stock represented by such certificate have been converted into the right to receive under the merger agreement.

Representations and Warranties

The representations and warranties described below, and elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus, and included in the merger agreement were made by OceanFirst and Capital Bank for the benefit of the other party, only for purposes of the merger agreement and as of specific dates. In addition, the representations and warranties may be subject to limitations, qualifications or exceptions agreed upon by the parties to the merger agreement, including those included in confidential disclosures made for the purposes of, among other things, allocating contractual risk between OceanFirst and Capital Bank rather than establishing matters as facts, and may be subject to standards of materiality that differ from those standards relevant to investors. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may change after the date of the merger agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in public disclosures by OceanFirst. Therefore, you should not rely on the representations and warranties or any description thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of OceanFirst, Capital Bank or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates without considering the foregoing. The representations and warranties and other provisions of the merger agreement should not be read alone, but instead should be read in conjunction with the information provided elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/prospectus. See the section of this proxy statement/prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 102. OceanFirst will provide additional disclosure in its public reports to the extent it becomes aware of the existence of any material facts that are required to be disclosed under federal securities laws and that might otherwise contradict the representations and warranties in the merger agreement and will update such disclosure as required by the federal securities laws.

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The merger agreement contains representations and warranties made by Capital Bank relating to a number of business and other matters, including the following: