Director at Lakeland Financial (NASDAQ: LKFN) gets phantom stock grant

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

WELCH M SCOTT reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

Lakeland Financial Corp director M. Scott Welch received a grant of phantom stock units as compensation. On this Form 4, he was awarded 510 phantom stock units at a reference price of $61.9216 per unit, bringing his total phantom stock holdings to 61,328 units.

Each phantom stock unit is linked to 1 share of Lakeland Financial common stock and becomes exercisable only after his retirement from the board. The phantom shares also expire after his retirement, highlighting that this is a long-term, deferred equity-based incentive rather than an immediate stock purchase or sale.

Insider Trade Summary

1 transaction reported

Mixed 1 txn

Insider WELCH M SCOTT

Role null

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Phantom Stock	510	$61.9216	$32K

Holdings After Transaction: Phantom Stock — 61,328 shares (Direct, null)

Footnotes (1)

1. Each phantom stock unit exercises into 1 share of Common Stock. Phantom stock is exercisable after the directors' retirement as a Board member. Phantom shares expire after the directors' retirement as a Board member.

Key Figures

Phantom stock units granted: 510 units Reference price per phantom unit: $61.9216 per unit Total phantom units after grant: 61,328 units +1 more

4 metrics

Phantom stock units granted 510 units Grant on May 5, 2026

Reference price per phantom unit $61.9216 per unit Grant valuation

Total phantom units after grant 61,328 units Post-transaction holdings

Underlying common shares per unit 1 share per unit Each phantom stock unit equals 1 common share

Key Terms

Phantom Stock, phantom stock unit, underlying security title, Common Stock

4 terms

Phantom Stock financial

"security_title: "Phantom Stock""

A phantom stock is a form of compensation that gives employees or executives the benefits of stock ownership, such as the increase in stock value, without actually giving them real shares. It acts like a promise to pay the employee the equivalent value of company stock later, often as a bonus or incentive. This allows companies to motivate and reward staff without diluting ownership or transferring actual shares.

phantom stock unit financial

"Each phantom stock unit exercises into 1 share of Common Stock."

underlying security title financial

"underlying_security_title: "Common Stock""

Common Stock financial

"Each phantom stock unit exercises into 1 share of Common Stock."

Common stock represents ownership shares in a company, giving investors a stake in its success and a say in important decisions through voting rights. It is the most common type of stock traded on markets and can provide income through dividends, as well as potential for value growth. For investors, holding common stock means sharing in the company’s profits and risks.

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

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^*

WELCH M SCOTT

(Last) (First) (Middle)

6 LONGWOOD COURT

(Street)

ELKHART INDIANA 46516

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
LAKELAND FINANCIAL CORP [ LKFN ]

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)
05/05/2026

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
Phantom Stock	(1)	05/05/2026		A		510		(2)	(3)	Common Stock	510	$61.9216	61,328	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Each phantom stock unit exercises into 1 share of Common Stock.

2. Phantom stock is exercisable after the directors' retirement as a Board member.

3. Phantom shares expire after the directors' retirement as a Board member.

Remarks:

	/s/ Becka J. Turnbow, Attorney-in-Fact	05/05/2026
	** 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)