Applied Industrial (AIT) insider filing: equity awards, tax-withheld shares reported
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Applied Industrial Technologies reporting person Neil A. Schrimsher completed several equity-based awards and related tax withholding on 08/12/2025. The filing shows grant and vesting activity: 3,922 restricted stock units that vest in three years, 14,399 performance shares banked for the 2025 performance cycle that vest at the end of a three-year program, and 12,062 stock-only stock appreciation rights granted with a $270.68 strike price and an exercisability schedule beginning 08/12/2026 and expiring 08/12/2035.
The registrant withheld 12,303 shares to satisfy tax obligations upon vesting of performance shares. Reported beneficial ownership following the transactions shows common stock holdings of 176,406 shares (direct) and 436.903 shares held indirectly through a Retirement Savings Plan.
Positive
- Material retention and performance incentives granted: RSUs, performance shares, and SARs align executive pay with long-term performance
- No open-market sales reported; shares withheld were used solely for tax withholding on vested performance shares
- SARs exercisability schedule encourages multi-year alignment (25% annual increments starting one year after grant)
Negative
- Tax withholding reduced direct holdings by 12,303 shares, lowering immediate beneficial ownership
- SAR strike price of $270.68 requires the stock to appreciate above that level before intrinsic value accrues
Insights
TL;DR: Routine executive equity compensation and tax withholding; no unusual insider disposal or cash sale reported.
The Form 4 documents standard long-term incentive compensation for the CEO combining time-based restricted stock units, performance-based shares, and stock appreciation rights. The withholding of 12,303 shares to meet tax obligations is an administrative action tied to vesting rather than an open-market sale. These entries are typical corporate governance practices for senior executives and do not indicate change in control, related-party transactions, or extraordinary dilutive actions.
TL;DR: Mix of RSUs, performance shares and SARs aligns pay with multi-year performance and retention objectives.
The award mix—3,922 time-vested RSUs, 14,399 performance shares banked for a three-year cycle, and 12,062 SARs with a $270.68 strike—reflects a typical executive compensation structure emphasizing retention and performance-based pay. The SARs exercisability schedule (25% annual increments after one year) links realized value to sustained stock performance. Withheld shares to satisfy taxes reduce immediate share count but are common and do not represent a cash liquidity event from the executive.