City Bank CCO reports stock grant, tax share disposal at SPFI (SPFI)

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

South Plains Financial insider activity: Bates Brent A, CCO of City Bank, reported two common stock transactions. On February 18, 2026, he acquired 2,283 shares at $0.00 per share as a grant or award, bringing his reported holdings to 13,620 shares. On February 17, 2026, he disposed of 840 shares at $42.50 per share in a tax-withholding disposition, after which his reported holdings were 11,337 shares. The reported holdings include restricted stock units that can only be settled in an equal number of common shares and are subject to vesting and forfeiture conditions.

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

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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^*

Bates Brent A

(Last) (First) (Middle)

5219 CITY BANK PARKWAY

(Street)

LUBBOCK TX 79407

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SOUTH PLAINS FINANCIAL, INC. [ SPFI ]

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

	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)	X	Other (specify below)
			CCO - City Bank

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/17/2026

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	02/17/2026		F		840	D	$42.5	11,337(1)	D
Common Stock	02/18/2026		A		2,283	A	$0	13,620(1)	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. The shares reported include restricted stock units that may be settled only by delivery of an equal number of shares of common stock and which are subject to vesting and forfeiture conditions.

	/s/ Mikella D. Newsom as Attorney-in-Fact for Brent A. Bates	02/19/2026
	** 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).
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FAQ

What insider transactions did Bates Brent A report at SOUTH PLAINS FINANCIAL (SPFI)?

Bates Brent A reported a stock grant of 2,283 SPFI common shares and a tax-related disposition of 840 shares. These transactions occurred on February 18, 2026 and February 17, 2026, reflecting routine equity compensation and related tax withholding activity.

Was the SPFI insider transaction by Bates Brent A a purchase or a grant?

The SPFI insider activity was a grant/award acquisition, not an open-market purchase. Bates Brent A received 2,283 common shares at $0.00 per share as equity compensation, consistent with a stock award rather than a traditional buy transaction in the market.

Why did Bates Brent A dispose of 840 SPFI shares at $42.50?

The 840 SPFI shares were disposed of as a tax-withholding transaction. The filing describes this as payment of exercise price or tax liability by delivering securities, meaning shares were used to satisfy tax obligations rather than being sold in a typical market trade.

How many SOUTH PLAINS FINANCIAL shares does Bates Brent A hold after these transactions?

After the reported grant on February 18, 2026, Bates Brent A holds 13,620 SPFI common shares. This total includes restricted stock units that may be settled only in an equal number of common shares and are subject to vesting and forfeiture conditions.

What does the restricted stock unit footnote mean in the SPFI Form 4?

The footnote explains that some reported holdings are restricted stock units. These units can only be settled by delivering the same number of SPFI common shares and are subject to vesting and forfeiture, so they depend on future service or performance conditions being met.

Is the SPFI insider transaction by the City Bank CCO considered a sell of shares?

The filing shows a tax-withholding disposition, not a standard sale. Shares were delivered at $42.50 per share to cover tax obligations related to equity compensation, which differs from an insider choosing to sell shares in the open market for investment reasons.