Elastic CEO sells 29,227 shares to cover taxes
Elastic N.V.’s CEO executed a mandated sell-to-cover transaction for tax withholding tied to RSU vesting, retaining over half a million shares afterward.
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Elastic N.V. (ESTC) reported that Chief Executive Officer and director Ashutosh Kulkarni sold 29,227 ordinary shares on September 9, 2026, at $87.78 per share. According to the company’s equity plan, this mandated "sell to cover" transaction was executed solely to satisfy tax withholding obligations upon vesting of RSUs and performance-based RSUs, and was not a discretionary trade. Following the sale, Kulkarni directly held 599,525 ordinary shares.
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Insights
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Insider Trade Summary
Net Seller: 29,227 shares
Net Sell
1 txn
Insider
Kulkarni Ashutosh
Role
Chief Executive Officer
Sold
29,227 shs ($2.57M)
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale | Ordinary Shares F1 | 29,227 | $87.78 | $2.57M |
Holdings After Transaction:
Ordinary Shares — 599,525 shares (Direct)
Footnotes (1)
- F1. The ordinary shares were sold to satisfy the Reporting Person's tax obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units ("RSUs") and performance-based RSUs. The sales were mandated by the Issuer's equity incentive plan which requires the satisfaction of tax withholding obligations to be funded by a "sell to cover" transaction and does not represent a discretionary trade by the Reporting Person.
Key Figures
Shares sold: 29,227 shares
Sale price per share: $87.78 per share
Shares held after transaction: 599,525 shares
+1 more
4 metrics
Shares sold
29,227 shares
Ordinary shares sold on September 9, 2026
Sale price per share
$87.78 per share
Price for the 29,227 ordinary shares sold on September 9, 2026
Shares held after transaction
599,525 shares
Direct holdings of Ashutosh Kulkarni following the sale
Net shares sold
29,227 shares
Net change in non-derivative share holdings reported in this Form 4
Key Terms
sell to cover, restricted stock units, performance-based RSUs
3 terms
sell to cover financial
"required the satisfaction of tax withholding obligations to 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.
restricted stock units financial
"tax obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units ("RSUs")"
Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.
performance-based RSUs financial
"vesting of restricted stock units ("RSUs") and performance-based RSUs"
Performance-based restricted stock units (RSUs) are promises to deliver company shares to employees only if the business meets specific goals, such as revenue, profit, stock-price targets, or strategic milestones. For investors, they matter because they change future share supply and align management incentives with company results—like a salesperson whose bonus only pays out when sales targets are hit—so they can affect earnings, dilution, and confidence in leadership.
FAQ
What insider transaction did Elastic N.V. (ESTC) disclose for its CEO?
Elastic N.V. disclosed that CEO Ashutosh Kulkarni sold 29,227 ordinary shares on September 9, 2026 at $87.78 per share. The sale was a mandated sell to cover transaction to satisfy tax withholding obligations from RSU and performance-based RSU vesting.
Was the ESTC CEO’s September 9, 2026 sale under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan?
The filing’s Rule 10b5-1 checkbox is not selected, and the footnote explains the sale was mandated by the equity incentive plan’s sell-to-cover requirement for tax withholding, rather than being executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
What type of securities were involved in the ESTC CEO’s Form 4 transaction?
The Form 4 reports a sale of ordinary shares of Elastic N.V. These shares were sold in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance-based RSUs, with the sale used to cover associated tax withholding obligations.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.