Intuitive Surgical Insider Exercise and 10b5-1 Sale by Guthart
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Insider transactions by Gary S. Guthart, Executive Chair of Intuitive Surgical (ISRG). On 08/29/2025 Mr. Guthart acquired 36,000 shares via exercise of a non-qualified stock option at an exercise price of $79.6378 and sold 29,360 shares at a weighted average price of $472.4873 under a pre-existing Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that expires April 28, 2026. After these transactions he directly beneficially owned 49,187 shares and holds additional indirect ownership through family trusts totaling 1,241,843 shares combined. The option vests partly six months after grant with further monthly vesting and expires 02/15/2027. The Form 4 was signed on 09/02/2025.
Positive
- Transactions executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, reducing appearance of opportunistic timing
- Clear disclosure of option exercise, vesting schedule, and weighted average sale prices, with offer to provide per-trade price details
Negative
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: Routine insider exercise and planned sale under a 10b5-1 plan; modest net change relative to large indirect holdings.
The exercise of 36,000 options and concurrent sale of 29,360 shares were executed pursuant to an established 10b5-1 trading plan, reducing potential market-timing concerns. The weighted average sale price of $472.4873 reflects multiple executions across a narrow price range. Given the reporting person retains substantial indirect holdings (over 1.2 million shares), these transactions are unlikely to materially affect control or signal a major change in ownership. The option's vesting schedule and 02/15/2027 expiration align with standard executive compensation mechanics.
TL;DR: Disclosure complies with Section 16 and indicates use of a time-bound Rule 10b5-1 plan; governance controls appear followed.
The Form 4 discloses a trading plan that expires April 28, 2026 and provides a footnote offering full execution-price transparency upon request, which is best-practice disclosure. The mix of direct and indirect holdings via family trusts is clearly reported, and the filing notes the exercise was of a non-statutory option granted under the company's incentive plan with a defined vesting schedule. No governance red flags or amendments are evident from the filing text provided.