[Form 4] Cisco Systems, Inc. Insider Trading Activity
Mark Patterson, identified as an officer (EVP and CFO) of Cisco Systems (CSCO), reported a partial settlement of restricted stock awards in which 4,690.914 shares were withheld to satisfy tax liabilities arising from those awards. After the withholding, the reporting person retains beneficial ownership of 165,098.086 shares on a direct basis. The transaction cites a per-share price of $71.79 and is described in the form as related to the partial settlement of three restricted stock awards.
This disclosure is a routine insider reporting of equity compensation settlement and tax withholding rather than an open-market purchase or sale; it documents the change in share count and confirms the executive’s continued direct ownership position.
- Tax liability satisfied via share withholding, avoiding an open-market sale and preserving executive ownership base of 165,098.086 shares
- Transaction explicitly tied to restricted stock settlement, clarifying the reason for share movement and reducing ambiguity for investors
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: Routine tax-withholding from restricted stock leaves the CFO with 165,098.086 direct shares; not a market sale.
The Form 4 documents the partial settlement of three restricted stock awards for Cisco EVP/CFO Mark Patterson with 4,690.914 shares withheld to cover tax liabilities. The remaining 165,098.086 shares are held directly, which is a disclosure of compensation-related dilution rather than a liquidity-driven disposition. The reported per-share price of $71.79 indicates the valuation used for the withholding. For investors, this is informational about executive compensation mechanics and outstanding insider holdings, but it does not represent a directional market trade.
TL;DR: Compensation settlement with tax withholding is standard governance disclosure; no governance red flags evident.
The explanation explicitly states the withheld shares were used to satisfy tax liabilities from the partial settlement of restricted stock awards originally reported in a Form 3. The filing shows the transaction was processed via share withholding rather than an open-market sale, which is a common practice to meet tax obligations while maintaining executive ownership. There is no indication in the disclosure of unusual timing, accelerated vesting, or related-party transactional concerns; the disclosure aligns with routine equity compensation reporting requirements.