Form 4: NOTE insider sell-to-cover 40 shares; late filing noted
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
FiscalNote Holdings, Inc. (NOTE) Form 4 shows that Paul Donnell, the companys Chief Accounting Officer, sold 40 shares of Class A common stock on 01/06/2025 at a reported price of $17.19 per share. The filing states the sale was a sell-to-cover to satisfy tax withholding on the vesting of 104 restricted stock units and was executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted May 12, 2023.
The Form 4 was filed late and the filer notes an administrative error. The reported share count and price were adjusted and rounded to reflect a 1-for-12 reverse stock split the issuer effected on August 29, 2025. The Form is signed by an attorney-in-fact on 09/26/2025.
Positive
- Transaction executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, indicating the sale was prearranged and not an opportunistic insider sale
- Sale purpose disclosed as tax withholding on vesting of 104 restricted stock units, clarifying the reason for the disposition
Negative
- Late Form 4 filing admitted due to an inadvertent administrative error, indicating a lapse in timely Section 16 reporting
- Post-report adjustment noted to reflect a 1-for-12 reverse stock split effected August 29, 2025, which may complicate historical share comparisons
Insights
TL;DR: Insider executed a routine sell-to-cover under a pre-established 10b5-1 plan; filing was late and adjusted for a later reverse split.
The reported disposal of 40 Class A shares at $17.19 was carried out to satisfy tax obligations from the vesting of 104 restricted stock units, indicating this was not a discretionary open-market sale for cash needs or portfolio reallocation but a mechanical transaction tied to equity compensation. The use of a Rule 10b5-1 plan reduces signaling risk but does not eliminate the materiality of a late Form 4 filing. The subsequent adjustment for a 1-for-12 reverse split effected August 29, 2025 is noted and appropriately disclosed in the remarks.
TL;DR: Transaction appears routine for equity compensation; late reporting is a governance lapse that should be remedied.
Sell-to-cover transactions tied to RSU vesting are common and generally low impact on valuation when small in size. However, the admission that the Form 4 was filed late due to an administrative error highlights a disclosure control issue. Companies should maintain processes to ensure timely Section 16 reporting; repeated late filings can concern investors and regulators even if the underlying trade is non-discretionary.