RNA Form 4: Sarah Boyce Exercises Options, Sells 25,000 Shares Under 10b5-1
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Sarah Boyce, President and CEO and a director of Avidity Biosciences, Inc. (RNA), exercised options and sold shares on 08/28/2025 under a previously adopted Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The reporting person exercised a stock option to acquire 25,000 shares at an exercise price of $1.24 and contemporaneously sold 25,000 shares at a weighted-average sales price of $49.388 per share (sales ranged $49.23–$49.52). The filings show direct beneficial ownership of common stock decreased from 330,871 shares before the sale to 305,871 shares after the sale. The option award exercised was fully vested and exercisable as of the transaction date, and Table II reports 25,000 underlying shares from the exercised option and a total of 1,072,015 derivative securities beneficially owned following the transaction as reported on the form. The trades were effected pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan adopted August 15, 2024.
Positive
- Trade executed under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, indicating pre-established trading intentions
- Option award fully vested and exercisable at time of exercise
- Filing discloses weighted-average sale price and price range, improving transparency
Negative
- Insider sold 25,000 shares, reducing direct beneficial ownership from 330,871 to 305,871 shares
- Material monetization by the CEO could be viewed negatively by some investors despite plan use
Insights
TL;DR: Routine insider exercise and sale under a documented 10b5-1 plan; no governance red flags apparent from the filing.
The Form 4 shows a standard option exercise and immediate sale of the same number of shares by the CEO/director under a Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted in 2024, which provides an affirmative defense against insider trading allegations when properly implemented. The option was fully vested and exercisable at $1.24, and the sale occurred at a weighted-average price of $49.388, reducing direct holdings by 25,000 shares. From a governance perspective, the filing discloses the plan and dates required; there is no indication of ad hoc, undisclosed trades. Documentation of the plan adoption date and the attorney-in-fact signature further supports procedural compliance.
TL;DR: Insider monetized a portion of equity via exercise and sale; transaction size is modest relative to total reported ownership.
The reporting shows an exercise at $1.24 and sale at a ~49.39 price, realizing substantial per-share spread on 25,000 shares. Direct common shares declined from 330,871 to 305,871 after the sale. The form also reports 1,072,015 derivative securities beneficially owned following the transaction, which may reflect outstanding option/award positions; the filing states the exercised option is fully vested. This is a standard liquidity event by an executive rather than a signal of undisclosed material change in company fundamentals, as it was executed via a pre-established 10b5-1 plan.