Southern First (SFST) CAO gets 875 RSUs, 135 shares withheld for taxes

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Southern First Bancshares Chief Accounting Officer Julie A. Fairchild reported routine equity compensation activity in company stock. She received an award of 875 shares of common stock in the form of restricted stock units that will vest in equal installments over four years. On the same date, 135 shares of common stock were withheld at a price of $54.94 per share to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of restricted stock awards. After these transactions, she directly owned 6,700 shares of Southern First Bancshares common stock.

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^*

Fairchild Julie Ann

(Last) (First) (Middle)

PO BOX 17465

(Street)

GREENVILLE SC 29606

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES INC [ SFST ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chief Accounting Officer

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/01/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

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
Common Stock	02/01/2026		A		875(1)	A	$0	6,835	D
Common Stock	02/01/2026		F		135(2)	D	$54.94	6,700	D

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

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents grant of restricted stock units. The restricted stock vests equally over four years.

2. Reflects shares of Issuer's common stock withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations upon vesting of restricted stock awards.

	Julie A. Fairchild	02/03/2026
	** 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.

FAQ

What insider transactions did SFST Chief Accounting Officer report?

SFST Chief Accounting Officer Julie A. Fairchild reported a grant of 875 restricted stock units and the withholding of 135 common shares for taxes. These are routine equity compensation and tax withholding transactions, leaving her with direct ownership of 6,700 Southern First Bancshares shares.

How many Southern First (SFST) shares does the CAO own after this Form 4?

After the reported transactions, Chief Accounting Officer Julie A. Fairchild directly owns 6,700 shares of Southern First Bancshares common stock. This figure reflects both the 875-share restricted stock grant and the 135 shares withheld to satisfy tax obligations on vested awards.

What does the 875-share grant to SFST’s CAO represent?

The 875-share transaction represents a grant of restricted stock units to SFST’s Chief Accounting Officer. These units convert into common shares as they vest, and the award is structured to vest in equal portions over four years, aligning compensation with longer-term company performance.

Why were 135 SFST shares withheld in the Form 4 filing?

The 135 Southern First Bancshares shares were withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations triggered by the vesting of restricted stock awards. Instead of the insider paying cash for taxes, a portion of vested shares is automatically retained to cover the required tax amounts.

Are the SFST insider transactions a stock sale by the CAO?

The filing shows no open-market sale by the CAO. One entry is a zero-cost grant of 875 restricted stock units, while the 135-share transaction reflects shares withheld for taxes on vested awards, a standard administrative step rather than a discretionary stock sale.

Over what period do the new SFST restricted stock units vest?

The newly granted restricted stock units to SFST’s Chief Accounting Officer vest equally over four years. This means portions of the 875 units convert into common shares each year, subject to continued service and the plan’s conditions, supporting long-term retention incentives.