PSU vesting drives tax share sale for Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA) holder
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
4
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. major holder Canton Barry reported his spouse’s performance-based equity vesting and related tax sale. On April 9, 2026, 251,786 performance-based restricted stock units converted into an equal number of Class A shares at a $0.00 exercise price.
These PSUs came from a 375,800-unit grant tied to a company-wide cash flow reduction target for January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, with actual performance certified at 67% of target. On April 10, 2026, Barry’s spouse sold 124,727 Class A shares at $6.434 per share solely to cover tax withholding obligations under the issuer’s equity incentive plans, which the filing states were non-discretionary “sell to cover” transactions. After these transactions, 436,422 Class A shares were held indirectly through his spouse.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insider Trade Summary
Net Seller: 124,727 shares ($802,494)
Net Sell
3 txns
Insider
Canton Barry
Role
10% Owner
Sold
124,727 shs ($802K)
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale | Class A Common Stock | 124,727 | $6.434 | $802K |
| Exercise | Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit | 251,786 | $0.00 | -- |
| Exercise | Class A Common Stock | 251,786 | $0.00 | -- |
Holdings After Transaction:
Class A Common Stock — 436,422 shares (Indirect, By Spouse);
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit — 0 shares (Indirect, By Spouse)
Footnotes (1)
- Each performance-based restricted stock unit ("PSU") represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Class A Common Stock. Represents shares sold by the Reporting Person's spouse to cover tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of PSUs. Sales to cover tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of such securities do not represent discretionary trades by the Reporting Person's spouse. The Issuer's equity incentive plans allow the Issuer to require that satisfaction of tax withholding obligations be funded by a "sell to cover" transaction. On June 19, 2025, the Reporting Person's spouse was granted 375,800 PSUs based on a company-wide cash flow reduction target over a one-year period beginning on January 1, 2025 and ending on December 31, 2025. The total number of vested PSUs distributed by Issuer on April 9, 2026 in the form of Class A Common Stock reflects actual performance equal to 67% of target performance, as certified by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
Key Figures
Tax-related share sale: 124,727 shares at $6.434
PSUs vested: 251,786 units
PSU grant size: 375,800 units
+3 more
6 metrics
Tax-related share sale
124,727 shares at $6.434
Class A Common Stock sold April 10, 2026 to cover tax withholding
PSUs vested
251,786 units
Performance-based restricted stock units converted to Class A shares on April 9, 2026
PSU grant size
375,800 units
Grant on June 19, 2025 tied to cash flow reduction target
Performance vs. target
67%
Actual performance relative to PSU cash flow reduction target
Shares held after transactions
436,422 shares
Class A Common Stock held indirectly through spouse after April 2026 activity
PSU exercise price
$0.00 per share
Conversion of performance-based restricted stock units into Class A Common Stock
Key Terms
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit, sell to cover, tax withholding obligations, equity incentive plans, +1 more
5 terms
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit financial
"Each performance-based restricted stock unit ("PSU") represents a contingent right to receive one share..."
A performance-based restricted stock unit is a promise of company shares given to an employee that only becomes actual stock if specific performance targets are met and any required time at the company is completed. For investors, these awards matter because they can dilute existing shares when earned and signal management’s confidence or the company’s expected future performance, much like a bonus cheque that only clears when pre-set goals are reached.
sell to cover financial
"plans allow the Issuer to require that satisfaction of tax withholding obligations be funded by a "sell to cover" transaction"
Sell to cover is when a person who receives company stock through options or awards sells just enough shares immediately to pay required taxes, exercise costs, or fees, keeping the rest. Think of it like cashing part of a bonus to cover the tax bill so you can keep the remainder. For investors, it can create predictable small selling pressure and slightly change the number of shares actually held by insiders without increasing long‑term dilution.
tax withholding obligations financial
"shares sold by the Reporting Person's spouse to cover tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of PSUs"
equity incentive plans financial
"The Issuer's equity incentive plans allow the Issuer to require that satisfaction of tax withholding obligations..."
Equity incentive plans are company programs that pay employees, executives, or directors with company stock, stock options, or share units instead of or in addition to cash, aiming to align their interests with shareholders—like giving team members a stake in the house they help build. For investors this matters because such plans can motivate better company performance but also dilute existing ownership and increase reported compensation costs, so they affect future earnings, voting power, and share value.
company-wide cash flow reduction target financial
"PSUs based on a company-wide cash flow reduction target over a one-year period..."
FAQ
What insider transactions did Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA) disclose for Canton Barry?
Ginkgo Bioworks reported that major holder Canton Barry’s spouse vested 251,786 performance-based restricted stock units into Class A shares, then sold 124,727 shares. The sale was explicitly to cover tax withholding obligations and was executed as a non-discretionary “sell to cover” transaction under company equity plans.
How many Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA) PSUs vested for Canton Barry’s spouse?
Barry’s spouse had 251,786 performance-based restricted stock units vest into Class A Common Stock on April 9, 2026. These units came from a 375,800-unit grant linked to a company-wide cash flow reduction target, with actual performance certified at 67% of the original target by the compensation committee.
What performance conditions were tied to the Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA) PSU grant?
The 375,800 PSUs granted to Barry’s spouse on June 19, 2025 were based on achieving a company-wide cash flow reduction target over January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. The filing reports actual performance at 67% of target, which determined the 251,786 units ultimately vesting into shares.