Aqua Metals CEO Stephen Cotton gets 35,310-share award

The RSUs are scheduled to vest and be settled in six equal semi-annual installments over a three-year period, subject to continued service.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Aqua Metals, Inc. CEO and director Stephen Cotton received an award covering 35,310 shares underlying restricted stock units (RSUs) on October 13, 2026. The RSUs are unvested and will vest and be settled in six equal semi-annual installments over a three-year period, subject to his continued service; they were granted as non-cash stock awards under the company’s 2026 Long Term Incentive Program. Also on October 13, 2,352 shares were withheld for tax obligations tied to vesting of 5,553 previously reported RSUs; the reported per-share price was $1.9200.

Insider Trade Summary

2 transactions reported

Mixed 2 txns

Insider Cotton Stephen

Role Chief Executive Officer

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock F1	35,310	$0.00	$0.00
Tax Withholding	Common Stock F2, F3	2,352	$1.92	$5K

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 351,742 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (3)

1. F1. Represents 35,310 shares underlying restricted stock units ("RSUs") that are not yet vested and deliverable. The RSUs will vest and be settled in six equal semi-annual installments over a three-year period, subject to the Reporting Person's continuation of service with the Company. These RSUs have been granted under the Company's 2026 Long Term Incentive Program as non-cash stock awards. Each RSU shall entitle its holder to receive one share of Common Stock of the issuer.
2. F2. Represents the withholding of 2,352 shares of common stock to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the October 13, 2026 vesting of 5,553 previously reported restricted stock units.
3. F3. Includes 208,293 shares underlying restricted stock units ("RSUs") that are not yet vested and deliverable.

Key Figures

RSU award underlying shares: 35,310 shares Shares withheld for tax obligations: 2,352 shares Reported per-share price: $1.9200 per share +2 more

5 metrics

RSU award underlying shares 35,310 shares Awarded October 13, 2026

Shares withheld for tax obligations 2,352 shares October 13, 2026

Reported per-share price $1.9200 per share Withholding of 2,352 shares on October 13, 2026

Previously reported RSUs vesting 5,553 RSUs October 13, 2026 vesting event connected to the tax withholding

RSU vesting schedule Six equal semi-annual installments over a three-year period Subject to the reporting person's continuation of service

Key Terms

restricted stock units, tax withholding obligations, non-cash stock awards, semi-annual installments

4 terms

restricted stock units financial

"shares underlying restricted stock units"

Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.

tax withholding obligations financial

"to satisfy tax withholding obligations"

non-cash stock awards financial

"as non-cash stock awards"

semi-annual installments financial

"six equal semi-annual installments"

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

How many shares under RSUs did AQMS CEO Stephen Cotton receive?

Stephen Cotton received an award covering 35,310 shares underlying restricted stock units on October 13, 2026. The RSUs will vest and be settled in six equal semi-annual installments over a three-year period, subject to his continued service.

How many AQMS shares were withheld from Stephen Cotton for taxes?

2,352 shares were withheld on October 13, 2026, to satisfy tax withholding obligations connected to the vesting of 5,553 previously reported RSUs. The reported per-share price was $1.9200.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

Available on EDGAR 10/15/2026 - 04:27 PM EDT Accepted by SEC EDGAR 10/15/2026 - 04:26 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Cotton Stephen

(Last) (First) (Middle)

5370 KIETZKE LN

SUITE 201

(Street)

RENO NEVADA 89511

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Aqua Metals, Inc. [ AQMS ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chief Executive Officer

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
10/13/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	10/13/2026		A(1)		35,310	A	$0	354,094	D
Common Stock	10/13/2026		F(2)		2,352	D	$1.92	351,742(3)	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents 35,310 shares underlying restricted stock units ("RSUs") that are not yet vested and deliverable. The RSUs will vest and be settled in six equal semi-annual installments over a three-year period, subject to the Reporting Person's continuation of service with the Company. These RSUs have been granted under the Company's 2026 Long Term Incentive Program as non-cash stock awards. Each RSU shall entitle its holder to receive one share of Common Stock of the issuer.

2. Represents the withholding of 2,352 shares of common stock to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the October 13, 2026 vesting of 5,553 previously reported restricted stock units.

3. Includes 208,293 shares underlying restricted stock units ("RSUs") that are not yet vested and deliverable.

	/s/ Eric West, by power of attorney	10/15/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)