Designer Brands director granted 974 stock units

Designer Brands Inc. director Joanna T. Lau reported receiving 974 stock units as a grant.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Designer Brands Inc. director Joanna T. Lau reported receiving 974 stock units as a grant. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one Class A common share, with these particular units reflecting dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units. The units vest on the grant date and will convert into an equal number of Class A shares when Lau’s service on the Board of Directors ends, bringing her total reported holdings to 130,284 stock units, including accrued dividend equivalents.

Insider Trade Summary

Grant/Award: 974 shares

Grant/Award 1 txn

Insider LAU JOANNA T

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Stock Unit	974	$0.00	$0.00

Holdings After Transaction: Stock Unit — 130,284 contracts (Direct)

Footnotes (4)

1. F1. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock.
2. F2. Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units.
3. F3. The stock unit becomes vested upon the date of grant and will be converted to an equal number of shares of Issuer's Class A common stock upon Insider's termination of service from the Board of Directors.
4. F4. Total includes accrued dividend equivalent rights.

Key Figures

Stock units granted: 974 stock units Total stock units after transaction: 130,284 stock units Grant price per unit: $0.00 per unit +1 more

4 metrics

Stock units granted 974 stock units Grant of dividend equivalent rights on 2026-04-10

Total stock units after transaction 130,284 stock units Holdings following reported grant

Grant price per unit $0.00 per unit Non-cash stock unit award

Underlying shares per unit 1 Class A share per unit Each unit converts into one Class A common share

Key Terms

Stock Unit, dividend equivalent rights, Class A common stock, Board of Directors

4 terms

Stock Unit financial

"Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share"

dividend equivalent rights financial

"Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units"

Dividend equivalent rights are promises that mirror the cash payments shareholders get from a company’s profits, but they are paid to holders of certain awards (like stock options or restricted stock units) rather than to actual shares. Think of them as a paycheck top‑up that matches dividends while the award is not yet a real stock, and they matter to investors because they add to employee compensation costs and potential share dilution, affecting company profitability and per‑share value.

Class A common stock financial

"one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock"

Class A common stock is a category of a company’s shares that carries a specific set of ownership rights—most commonly defined voting power and claims on dividends—set out in the company’s charter. For investors it matters because the class determines how much influence you have over corporate decisions, the share’s likely dividend and trading behavior, and how it compares in value to other share classes, like choosing a particular seat with different privileges at the company’s decision-making table.

Board of Directors financial

"upon Insider's termination of service from the Board of Directors"

The Board of Directors is a group of people chosen by a company's owners to help make big decisions and oversee how the company is run. They act like a team of advisors or managers, making sure the company stays on track and meets its goals. Their choices can influence the company's success and how it grows.

FAQ

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

What insider transaction did Designer Brands (DBI) director Joanna T. Lau report?

Joanna T. Lau reported an acquisition of 974 stock units in Designer Brands. These units were granted as dividend equivalent rights tied to previously awarded stock units and increase her total reported stock unit holdings to 130,284.

What does each stock unit reported by Designer Brands (DBI) represent?

Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one Class A common share of Designer Brands. The units vest on the grant date and convert into Class A common shares when the director leaves the Board of Directors.

Why were 974 stock units granted to the Designer Brands (DBI) director?

The 974 stock units represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units. This means dividends that would have been paid on underlying shares are credited as additional stock units instead of cash.

When will the newly granted Designer Brands (DBI) stock units convert into shares?

The stock units become vested on the grant date and will be converted into an equal number of Designer Brands Class A common shares upon Joanna T. Lau’s termination of service from the Board of Directors.

How many stock units does the Designer Brands (DBI) director hold after this Form 4?

After this transaction, Joanna T. Lau is reported to hold a total of 130,284 stock units. This total includes both the newly granted 974 units and previously accrued dividend equivalent rights.

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

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 04/14/2026 - 02:38 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^*

LAU JOANNA T

(Last) (First) (Middle)

810 DSW DRIVE

(Street)

COLUMBUS OHIO 43219

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Designer Brands Inc. [ DBI ]

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

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

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/10/2026

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

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
Stock Unit	(1)	04/10/2026		A		974(2)		(3)	(3)	Class A Common Shares	974	$0.0000	130,284(4)	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock.

2. Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units.

3. The stock unit becomes vested upon the date of grant and will be converted to an equal number of shares of Issuer's Class A common stock upon Insider's termination of service from the Board of Directors.

4. Total includes accrued dividend equivalent rights.

	Katherine Alfano, Attorney-in-Fact	04/14/2026
	** 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)