[Form 4] Couchbase, Inc. Insider Trading Activity
Margaret Chow, SVP & Chief Legal Officer of Couchbase, Inc. (BASE), reported transactions tied to the company's merger closing on 09/24/2025. At the effective time of the merger, outstanding common shares and equity awards were converted or cancelled for cash consideration of $24.50 per share. The report shows 191,917 common shares disposed, and derivative awards (19,999 options at $21.40, 122,999 options at $7.75, and 46,000 RSUs/PSUs) were cancelled and converted into cash rights or awards with vesting or payout terms described in the merger agreement. Following these transactions, Ms. Chow reports 0 shares beneficially owned in each listed category.
- None.
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: Insider equity converted to cash at $24.50 per share due to the merger; material liquidity event for equity holders.
This Form 4 records a corporate change of control where equity holdings and awards were cashed out at a fixed per-share price of $24.50. The report quantifies large notional positions converted to cash: 191,917 common shares and 188,998 total underlying shares from options and RSUs/PSUs listed. For investors, this is a definitive exit of the reporting insider's company stock position tied to the merger mechanics rather than voluntary market sales.
TL;DR: Merger provisions automatically converted and, where applicable, preserved vesting mechanics for certain awards.
The filing confirms contractually driven cancellations and conversions under the Merger Agreement. Performance-based RSUs had a portion deemed 100% vested and paid in cash, while remaining unvested PSUs were converted to time-based vesting for future payout or subject to severance acceleration. These are typical governance protections in M&A but are material as they affect executive compensation realization and alignment at closing.