[Form 4] SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES INC Insider Trading Activity

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Southern First Bancshares Chief Credit Officer reports equity award and tax withholding. On February 1, 2026, Wesley Clark Wilbanks received 1,800 shares of common stock as a grant of restricted stock units that vest equally over four years.

On the same date, 242 shares of common stock were withheld at $54.94 per share to cover tax obligations related to vesting awards. After these transactions, Wilbanks directly owned 6,254 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^*

Wilbanks Wesley Clark

(Last) (First) (Middle)

6 VERDAE BOULEVARD

(Street)

GREENVILLE SC 29607

(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 Credit 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		1,800(1)	A	$0	6,496	D
Common Stock	02/01/2026		F		242(2)	D	$54.94	6,254	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 units and awards.

	Wesley C. Wilbanks, /s/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 Credit Officer Wesley Wilbanks report?

Wesley Clark Wilbanks reported receiving 1,800 shares of Southern First Bancshares common stock as a restricted stock unit grant, and 242 shares were withheld to satisfy tax obligations related to vesting awards. After these transactions, he directly owned 6,254 common shares.

How many Southern First Bancshares (SFST) shares were granted to the CCO?

The Chief Credit Officer received a grant of 1,800 shares of Southern First Bancshares common stock via restricted stock units. According to the filing, these units represent equity-based compensation and increase his direct beneficial ownership before tax withholding adjustments.

How do the restricted stock units for SFST’s CCO vest over time?

The filing states the 1,800-share restricted stock grant to the Chief Credit Officer vests equally over four years. This means the award converts into vested common shares in four equal annual installments, aligning compensation with longer-term company performance and retention.

Why were 242 SFST shares withheld in Wesley Wilbanks’ Form 4?

The 242 Southern First Bancshares shares were withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations tied to vesting restricted stock units and awards. Instead of paying cash taxes separately, a portion of the vested shares is retained by the issuer for the tax liability.

How many SFST shares does the Chief Credit Officer own after these transactions?

Following the reported grant and tax withholding, Wesley Clark Wilbanks directly owns 6,254 shares of Southern First Bancshares common stock. This figure reflects his beneficial holding after the 242 shares were withheld to cover related tax obligations on equity awards.

Is the SFST Form 4 transaction a purchase or compensation grant?

The Southern First Bancshares Form 4 reflects compensation, not an open-market purchase. It records a grant of 1,800 restricted stock units at a price of $0 and related tax withholding, consistent with equity-based executive compensation practices rather than discretionary stock buying.