SFST director granted 310 restricted stock units

SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES INC director Rudolph G. Johnstone III reported a compensation-related equity grant.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES INC director Rudolph G. Johnstone III reported a compensation-related equity grant. He acquired 310 shares of Common Stock in the form of restricted stock units at no cash cost, increasing his direct holdings to 30,676 shares after the transaction.

The footnote explains that these restricted stock units will fully vest on June 1, 2027, meaning they are subject to a service-based vesting period before becoming fully transferable. This is a routine grant/award acquisition rather than an open-market purchase or sale.

Insider Trade Summary

Grant/Award: 310 shares

Grant/Award 1 txn

Insider JOHNSTONE RUDOLPH G III

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock	310	$0.00	$0.00

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 30,676 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

1. F1. Represents grant of restricted stock units which will fully vest on June 1, 2027.

Key Figures

Restricted stock unit grant: 310 shares Grant price: $0.0000 per share Holdings after transaction: 30,676 shares +1 more

4 metrics

Restricted stock unit grant 310 shares Grant of Common Stock via restricted stock units

Grant price $0.0000 per share Equity award, not open-market purchase

Holdings after transaction 30,676 shares Total direct Common Stock ownership after grant

Vesting date June 1, 2027 Restricted stock units fully vest on this date

Key Terms

restricted stock units, grant, award, or other acquisition, Common Stock

3 terms

restricted stock units financial

"Represents grant of restricted stock units which will fully vest on June 1, 2027."

Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.

grant, award, or other acquisition financial

"transaction_code_description: Grant, award, or other acquisition"

Common Stock financial

"security_title: Common Stock"

Common stock represents ownership shares in a company, giving investors a stake in its success and a say in important decisions through voting rights. It is the most common type of stock traded on markets and can provide income through dividends, as well as potential for value growth. For investors, holding common stock means sharing in the company’s profits and risks.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What insider transaction did SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES (SFST) report?

Director Rudolph G. Johnstone III received a grant of 310 restricted stock units tied to Common Stock. This is a compensation-related award, not an open-market trade, and reflects equity-based pay rather than a traditional stock purchase or sale.

How many SFST shares did Rudolph G. Johnstone III receive in this Form 4?

He was granted 310 shares of Common Stock in the form of restricted stock units. The award was recorded at a price of $0.0000 per share, indicating it is an equity grant rather than a cash purchase in the open market.

When do the restricted stock units granted to the SFST director vest?

The restricted stock units will fully vest on June 1, 2027. Until that vesting date, the award remains subject to the applicable vesting conditions, typically continued service, before becoming fully earned and transferable by the reporting person.

What are Rudolph G. Johnstone III’s SFST holdings after this transaction?

Following the grant, he directly holds 30,676 shares of Common Stock. This total includes the newly awarded 310 restricted stock units, giving investors a clearer view of his overall direct equity position in Southern First Bancshares after the reported transaction.

Was this SFST Form 4 transaction an open-market buy or sell?

No. The Form 4 shows a grant coded as “A” for an acquisition by award, with 310 restricted stock units at $0.0000 per share. This reflects stock-based compensation, not a discretionary open-market purchase or sale of Southern First Bancshares shares.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 06/02/2026 - 05:22 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

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^*

JOHNSTONE RUDOLPH G III

(Last) (First) (Middle)

PO BOX 17465

(Street)

GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA 29606

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

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

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

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

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
06/01/2026

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

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

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

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	06/01/2026		A		310(1)	A	$0	30,676	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 which will fully vest on June 1, 2027.

	Trip Johnstone, III /s/Julie A. Fairchild, POA	06/02/2026
	** 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.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)