LPLA Form 4: Director Putnam receives 136,651.5 vested stock units
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
James S. Putnam, a director of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA), was credited with fully vested stock units on 08/29/2025 that are payable under the company’s Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan (DDCP). The units represent the right to receive one share of common stock each and were credited in connection with a quarterly cash dividend on common shares.
The filing reports 136,651.5 shares (amount shown as beneficially owned following the transaction) and a price of $0, reflecting a non-cash credit of vested stock units granted under the Issuer’s 2021 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. The signature on the form was provided by an attorney-in-fact on 09/03/2025.
Positive
- Aligned incentives: Director compensation was credited as fully vested stock units, increasing alignment with shareholders without immediate cash payout
- Use of deferred compensation: Units were credited to the DDCP, indicating use of established plan mechanisms rather than ad hoc grants
Negative
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: Routine director compensation transaction: fully vested stock units were credited to a director’s deferred compensation account, reflecting standard governance practices.
The report documents a non-cash credit of stock units to a director’s DDCP account tied to a quarterly dividend. This is a standard mechanism to defer director compensation and align interests with shareholders without immediate cash payout. The transaction does not indicate any new option grants, exercised derivatives, or unusual timing. For governance review, key items are the plan authorities (2021 Omnibus Plan and DDCP) and the fact the units are fully vested on grant date.
TL;DR: The filing shows a vested equity credit to a director at zero cash cost to the reporting person, consistent with deferred dividend-share practices.
From a compensation perspective, the credit of vested stock units (each converting to one share) following a cash dividend is a non-cash compensation event that increases the director’s share-equivalent holdings by 136,651.5 units. The use of the DDCP suggests the company offers directors the option to defer equity compensation, which can be tax-efficient for the recipient and preserves company cash. This appears routine and not dilutive beyond the existing plan authorizations disclosed elsewhere.