Ionis (IONS) CSO Frank Bennett sells shares, shifts 15,000 into family trust
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
4
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Ionis Pharmaceuticals EVP and Chief Scientific Officer Frank Bennett reported insider transactions involving company stock. On July 7, he executed open-market sales of 15,000 shares held indirectly through a trust at a weighted average price of $85.462 per share and 5,536 shares held directly at a weighted average price of $83.579 per share, under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. He also transferred 15,000 shares from direct to indirect ownership via a family trust and reported 15,000 restricted stock units that vested on January 15, 2026 and were paid in common shares. Following these transactions, he holds 75,018 shares directly, 15,000 shares indirectly through the trust, and 12,109 restricted stock units.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insider Trade Summary 10b5-1
Net Seller: 20,536 shares ($1,744,623)
Net Sell
4 txns
Insider
BENNETT C FRANK
Role
EVP, Chief Scientific Officer
Sold
20,536 shs ($1.74M)
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | Restricted Stock Unit | 15,000 | $0.00 | -- |
| Sale | Common Stock | 5,536 | $83.579 | $463K |
| Other | Common Stock | 15,000 | $0.00 | -- |
| Sale | Common Stock | 15,000 | $85.462 | $1.28M |
Holdings After Transaction:
Restricted Stock Unit — 12,109 shares (Direct, null);
Common Stock — 75,018 shares (Direct, null);
Common Stock — 15,000 shares (Indirect, by Trust)
Footnotes (1)
- Shares sold pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan adopted by the reporting person on March 31, 2026. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $83.070 to $84.065 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. any security holder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (2) on this Form 4. Represents a transfer of 15,000 shares of common stock from direct ownership to indirect ownership held by the Clarence Frank Bennett TTEE Bennett Living Trust Dated 3/12/2008, of which the reporting person is the co-trustee with spouse. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $85.015 to $85.730 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. any security holder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (3) on this Form 4. Restricted Stock Unit vested on January 15, 2026. Upon vesting, the restricted stock unit was paid out in whole shares of Ionis common stock.
Key Figures
Indirect shares sold: 15,000 shares
Direct shares sold: 5,536 shares
Direct holdings after transaction: 75,018 shares
+3 more
6 metrics
Indirect shares sold
15,000 shares
Open-market sale via trust at $85.462 weighted average on July 7, 2026
Direct shares sold
5,536 shares
Open-market sale at $83.579 weighted average on July 7, 2026
Direct holdings after transaction
75,018 shares
Common stock held directly following July 7, 2026 transactions
Indirect holdings after transfer
15,000 shares
Common stock held indirectly by Bennett Living Trust after transfer
Remaining RSUs
12,109 units
Restricted stock units outstanding after vesting event
Vested RSUs
15,000 units
Restricted stock units vested January 15, 2026 and paid in shares
Key Terms
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan, Restricted Stock Unit, weighted average price, indirect ownership, +1 more
5 terms
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan regulatory
"Shares sold pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan adopted by the reporting person on March 31, 2026."
A Rule 10b5-1 trading plan is a pre-arranged schedule that allows company insiders to buy or sell stock at specific times, even if they have inside information. It helps prevent accusations of unfair trading by making these transactions look planned and transparent, rather than sneaky or illegal.
Restricted Stock Unit financial
"Restricted Stock Unit vested on January 15, 2026. Upon vesting, the restricted stock unit was paid out in whole shares of Ionis common stock."
A restricted stock unit is a promise from a company to give an employee shares of stock after certain conditions are met, like staying with the company for a set amount of time. It’s like earning a bonus that turns into company stock once you’ve proven your commitment, making it a way to motivate and reward employees.
weighted average price financial
"The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $83.070 to $84.065 inclusive."
Weighted average price is the average price of a security where each trade or component is counted according to its size, so bigger trades pull the average more than smaller ones. Think of it like calculating the average cost of a grocery haul where items you bought more of have greater influence on the final per-item cost. Investors use it to understand the true average price paid or received, judge execution quality, and compare trading performance against market movement.
indirect ownership financial
"Represents a transfer of 15,000 shares of common stock from direct ownership to indirect ownership held by the Clarence Frank Bennett TTEE Bennett Living Trust Dated 3/12/2008."
other acquisition or disposition regulatory
"transaction_code_description: "Other acquisition or disposition" for J-code transactions in common stock and restricted stock units."
FAQ
What insider transactions did Ionis (IONS) executive Frank Bennett report?
Frank Bennett reported selling 15,000 Ionis shares indirectly through a trust and 5,536 shares directly in open-market transactions. He also recorded a 15,000-share transfer to a family trust and the vesting of 15,000 restricted stock units into common shares.
Were Frank Bennett’s Ionis (IONS) stock sales made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan?
Yes. The filing states that the shares were sold pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by Frank Bennett on March 31, 2026. Such pre-arranged plans automate trading and can reduce the significance of timing for interpreting insider activity.
How did Frank Bennett’s holdings in Ionis (IONS) change after these transactions?
After the reported transactions, Frank Bennett holds 75,018 Ionis common shares directly and 15,000 shares indirectly through a family trust. He also reports ownership of 12,109 restricted stock units, which represent rights to receive additional Ionis common shares in the future.
What happened to Frank Bennett’s Ionis (IONS) restricted stock units?
A block of 15,000 restricted stock units vested on January 15, 2026 and was paid out in whole shares of Ionis common stock. After this vesting event, Bennett reports remaining holdings of 12,109 restricted stock units in the filing’s derivative securities table.