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Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ: TWST) CFO sells shares to cover taxes

(High)
(Negative)
Form Type
4

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Twist Bioscience Corp (TWST) reported that its Chief Financial Officer, Adam Laponis, sold 1,965 shares of common stock on 2026-08-21 at $139.066 per share. The company states these shares were sold to cover tax withholding obligations upon vesting of Restricted Stock Units, under a mandated "sell to cover" arrangement rather than a discretionary trade. After this tax-related sale, Laponis directly holds 108,633 shares of Twist Bioscience common stock, which include shares acquired through the company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

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Insights

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Insider Laponis Adam
Role Chief Financial Officer
Sold 1,965 shs ($273K)
Type Security Shares Price Value
Sale Common Stock F1, F2 1,965 $139.066 $273K
Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 108,633 shares (Direct)
Footnotes (2)
  1. F1. Represents the number of shares required to be sold by the Reporting Person to cover tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of Restricted Stock Units. These sales are mandated by the Issuer's election under its equity incentive plans to require the satisfaction of a tax withholding obligation to be funded by a "sell to cover" transaction and do not represent discretionary trades by the Reporting Person.
  2. F2. Includes shares that were acquired under the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan in a transaction that was exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c).
Shares sold 1,965 shares of Common Stock Shares sold by CFO Adam Laponis on 2026-08-21
Sale price per share $139.066 per share Price received for the 1,965-share tax-related sale
Shares held after transaction 108,633 shares Direct holdings of CFO Adam Laponis following the sale
Net shares sold in filing 1,965 shares Net-sell direction based on transaction summary
Restricted Stock Units financial
"in connection with the vesting of Restricted Stock Units"
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.
sell to cover financial
"funded by a "sell to cover" transaction and do not represent"
Sell to cover is when a person who receives company stock through options or awards sells just enough shares immediately to pay required taxes, exercise costs, or fees, keeping the rest. Think of it like cashing part of a bonus to cover the tax bill so you can keep the remainder. For investors, it can create predictable small selling pressure and slightly change the number of shares actually held by insiders without increasing long‑term dilution.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan financial
"acquired under the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan in a"
An employee stock purchase plan is a company program that lets workers buy shares through small payroll deductions, often at a discount to the market price and after a set offering period. Think of it like a workplace savings plan that turns into ownership: it encourages employees to share in the company’s success and can create predictable buying or selling of stock that investors watch because it affects supply, demand and employee incentives.
Rule 16b-3(d) regulatory
"exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c)."
Rule 16b-3(d) is a narrow SEC safe-harbor that shields company insiders (officers, directors and large shareholders) from liability for short‑swing profits when their buys or sells of company stock are made under a pre-established, written plan or contract that removes the insider’s ability to time trades. For investors, this matters because it permits predictable, automated insider transactions — like scheduled sales for diversification or payroll withholding — without triggering forced disgorgement, so such planned trades are treated differently from opportunistic insider trading.
Rule 16b-3(c) regulatory
"exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c)."
An SEC rule that lets corporate insiders avoid automatic "short‑swing" profit recovery when they buy or sell their company’s stock under a pre‑approved, written plan that meets specific conditions. For investors, it matters because it clarifies when insider trades are treated as routine, reducing legal uncertainty and helping distinguish trades made for ordinary compensation or pre‑planned reasons from those that might signal opportunistic or timely insider advantage.

FAQ

What did TWST CFO Adam Laponis report on this Form 4?

He reported a sale of 1,965 shares of Twist Bioscience common stock on 2026-08-21 at $139.066 per share, leaving him with 108,633 shares held directly after the transaction.

Was the TWST CFO’s 1,965-share sale a discretionary trade?

No. The company states the 1,965 shares were sold to cover tax withholding obligations tied to vesting Restricted Stock Units under a mandated “sell to cover” arrangement, and therefore did not represent discretionary trading by the CFO.

How many TWST shares does the CFO hold after this transaction?

After the transaction, Chief Financial Officer Adam Laponis directly holds 108,633 shares of Twist Bioscience common stock. This figure includes shares that were acquired under Twist Bioscience’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

What price was received in the TWST CFO’s reported share sale?

The reported sale price was $139.066 per share for the 1,965 shares of Twist Bioscience common stock sold on 2026-08-21, as disclosed in the insider transaction data.

Do the TWST CFO’s reported holdings include ESPP shares?

Yes. The 108,633 shares shown as held after the transaction include shares acquired under Twist Bioscience’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which were obtained in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c).

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

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SEC Form 4
FORM 4UNITED 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*
Laponis Adam

(Last)(First)(Middle)
C/O TWIST BIOSCIENCE CORPORATION
681 GATEWAY BLVD

(Street)
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA 94080

(City)(State)(Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Twist Bioscience Corp [ TWST ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
Director10% Owner
XOfficer (give title below)Other (specify below)
Chief Financial Officer
2a. Foreign Trading Symbol
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
08/21/2026
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
XForm 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)
CodeVAmount(A) or (D)Price
Common Stock08/21/2026S1,965(1)D$139.066108,633(2)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)
CodeV(A)(D)Date ExercisableExpiration DateTitleAmount or Number of Shares
Explanation of Responses:
1. Represents the number of shares required to be sold by the Reporting Person to cover tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of Restricted Stock Units. These sales are mandated by the Issuer's election under its equity incentive plans to require the satisfaction of a tax withholding obligation to be funded by a "sell to cover" transaction and do not represent discretionary trades by the Reporting Person.
2. Includes shares that were acquired under the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan in a transaction that was exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c).
Remarks:
/s/ Kendra Fox, as Attorney-in-Fact for Adam Laponis08/25/2026
** Signature of Reporting PersonDate
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)