California Water Service Group (NYSE: CWT) SVP granted stock, surrenders shares for tax

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

California Water Service Group senior vice president of operations Michael S. Mares Jr. reported two equity-related transactions in company common stock. On March 3, 2026, he acquired 1,650 restricted shares in a grant under the equity incentive plan, at a stated price of $0.00 per share. According to the grant terms, one-third vests on March 3, 2027, with the remaining two-thirds vesting quarterly over the following 24 months. On March 4, 2026, 303 shares were withheld and surrendered to the issuer at $46.99 per share to cover tax obligations from the vesting of a prior restricted stock award granted on March 4, 2025. After these transactions, his directly held common stock position stood at 12,144.6 shares, including shares acquired through dividend reinvestment.

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

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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^*

Mares Michael S JR

(Last) (First) (Middle)

1720 NORTH FIRST STREET

(Street)

SAN JOSE CA 95112

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP [ CWT ]

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

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	SVP Operations

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/03/2026

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

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

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

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	03/03/2026		A		1,650(1)	A	$0.0	12,447.6(2)	D
Common Stock	03/04/2026		F		303(3)	D	$46.99	12,144.6	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. Restricted stock granted on 3/3/2026 pursuant to the California Water Service Group equity incentive plan in a transaction exempt under Rule 16-b-3 vests with one-third on March 3, 2027, and with the remaining 2/3 vesting quarterly over the succeeding 24 months.

2. Includes shares acquired through Dividend Reinvestment.

3. Represents the number of shares withheld and surrendered to the issuer to satisfy the tax withholding obligations that arose in connection with the vesting of Restricted Stock (RSA) Award granted on March 4,2025

	By: /s/ Michelle R. Mortensen For: Michael Mares	03/05/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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FAQ

What insider transactions did CWT executive Michael Mares report on this Form 4?

Michael Mares reported a restricted stock grant of 1,650 CWT shares on March 3, 2026, and a 303-share tax-withholding disposition on March 4, 2026. The withheld shares were surrendered to the issuer to satisfy tax obligations from a prior restricted stock vesting.

Was the CWT Form 4 a market buy or sell by the SVP Operations?

The Form 4 shows no open-market buy or sell. It reports a grant of restricted stock under California Water Service Group’s equity incentive plan and a tax-withholding disposition where 303 shares were surrendered to the issuer to cover tax liabilities.

How many California Water Service Group shares did Michael Mares hold after these transactions?

After the reported transactions, Michael Mares directly held 12,144.6 shares of California Water Service Group common stock. This total includes shares acquired through dividend reinvestment, as noted in the filing’s footnotes, reflecting his ongoing equity stake in the company.

What are the vesting terms of the 1,650 restricted CWT shares granted to Michael Mares?

The 1,650 restricted shares granted on March 3, 2026 vest over time. One-third vests on March 3, 2027, and the remaining two-thirds vest quarterly over the succeeding 24 months, under California Water Service Group’s equity incentive plan.

Why were 303 CWT shares surrendered in the March 4, 2026 transaction?

The 303 surrendered shares represent stock withheld and delivered back to California Water Service Group to satisfy tax withholding obligations arising from the vesting of a restricted stock award granted on March 4, 2025, rather than a discretionary market sale.

What role does Michael Mares hold at California Water Service Group according to the Form 4?

According to the Form 4, Michael S. Mares Jr. serves as Senior Vice President, Operations at California Water Service Group. The reported equity transactions reflect compensation and related tax withholding associated with his executive role and participation in the company’s incentive plan.