A New Banking Entity Emerges from Brookline and Berkshire Hills Merger

The independent existence of Brookline Bancorp has concluded following its merger with Berkshire Hills Bancorp. Effective September 1, 2025, the transaction created a new regional banking institution, Beacon Financial Corporation, which now trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BBT. Formerly listed on NASDAQ as BRKL, Brookline Bancorp shareholders received 0.42 shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp for each share they held in the all-stock deal valued at approximately $1.1 billion.

Beacon Financial Corporation emerges as a significant regional banking force, boasting consolidated assets of around $24 billion and operating 148 branches across the Northeastern United States. Leadership of the new entity is heavily drawn from Brookline's former executive team. Paul A. Perrault, previously the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brookline Bancorp, now serves as President and CEO of Beacon. Carl M. Carlson, the former Co-President and Chief Financial Officer of Brookline, has taken on the role of Chief Financial and Strategy Officer.

While the bank is legally chartered as Beacon Bank & Trust, it is expected to operate commonly as Beacon Bank. For the time being, established brand names including Brookline Bank and Bank Rhode Island will continue to function as divisions within the larger organization.

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Brookline Bancorp?

Financial Impact and Merger Costs Revealed

The initial financial results released by Beacon Financial Corporation on October 29, 2025, highlighted the significant one-time expenses associated with combining the two banks. For the third quarter of 2025, the company reported a net loss of $56.3 million, or $0.64 per share. This result stands in sharp contrast to Brookline Bancorp's final independent quarterly report, which showed a net income of $22.0 million on $94.65 million in revenue for Q2 2025.

Company executives attributed the quarterly loss primarily to non-recurring integration costs, stating that the figure does not reflect the underlying operational performance of the merged business. The strategic rationale for the "merger of equals" centers on enhancing competitive positioning, expanding lending capacity, and driving long-term profitability through greater scale and operational efficiencies.

Ongoing Integration Through 2026

The merger process remains ongoing, with several critical milestones ahead. The most complex technical step—migrating to a unified core banking system—is scheduled for completion in February 2026. The full public rollout of the Beacon Bank brand is contingent upon the successful execution of this system integration. Future quarterly earnings reports from Beacon Financial Corporation will be closely watched to gauge the company's progress in realizing projected synergies and offsetting the recent special costs with improved operational performance.