Tax-driven share sale by Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ: TWST) CEO Leproust
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
4
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Twist Bioscience Corp Chief Executive Officer Emily M. Leproust reported an open-market sale of 5,127 shares of Common Stock at an average price of $57.1488 per share. According to the disclosure, these shares were sold to cover tax withholding obligations related to vesting Restricted Stock Units under the company’s equity incentive plans and are described as non-discretionary "sell to cover" transactions.
Following this tax-related sale, Leproust directly holds 853,760 shares of Common Stock. She also holds an employee stock option that is exercisable for 64,950 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $67.8500 per share, with an expiration date of August 31, 2030.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insider Trade Summary
Net Seller: 5,127 shares ($293,002)
Net Sell
6 txns
Insider
Leproust Emily M.
Role
Chief Executive Officer
Sold
5,127 shs ($293K)
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale | Common Stock | 5,127 | $57.1488 | $293K |
| holding | Employee Stock Option (right to buy) | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | Employee Stock Option (right to buy) | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | Employee Stock Option (right to buy) | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | Employee Stock Option (right to buy) | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | Employee Stock Option (right to buy) | -- | -- | -- |
Holdings After Transaction:
Common Stock — 853,760 shares (Direct, null);
Employee Stock Option (right to buy) — 0 shares (Direct, null)
Footnotes (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. The option is immediately exercisable. 25% of the shares subject to the option vested on September 1, 2016 and 1/48th of the shares subject to the option vest on each monthly anniversary thereafter, subject to the Reporting Person's continuous service through each vesting date. The option is immediately exercisable. 10% of the shares subject to the option vested on September 28, 2017, 15% of the shares subject to the option vested on September 28, 2018, and 1/48th of the shares subject to the option vest on each monthly anniversary thereafter, subject to the Reporting Person's continuous service through each vesting date. 20% of the shares subject to the option vested and became exercisable on October 31, 2019 and 1/60th of the shares subject to the option vest and become exercisable on each monthly anniversary thereafter, subject to the Reporting Person's continuous service through each vesting date. 25% of the shares subject to the option vested on October 24, 2020, and 1/48th of the shares subject to the option vest on each monthly anniversary thereafter, subject to the Reporting Person's continuous service through each vesting date. Represents performance stock options granted to the reporting person on September 1, 2020, that vested and became exercisable on December 19, 2022 as a result of the reporting person having met the applicable performance criteria.
Key Figures
Shares sold: 5,127 shares
Sale price: $57.1488 per share
Shares held after sale: 853,760 shares
+3 more
6 metrics
Shares sold
5,127 shares
Common Stock sold on May 4, 2026
Sale price
$57.1488 per share
Average price for 5,127-share sale
Shares held after sale
853,760 shares
Common Stock directly held post-transaction
Option underlying shares
64,950 shares
Common Stock underlying retained employee stock option
Option exercise price
$67.8500 per share
Exercise price of retained employee stock option
Option expiration
August 31, 2030
Expiration date of retained employee stock option
Key Terms
Restricted Stock Units, sell to cover, equity incentive plans, performance stock options
4 terms
Restricted Stock Units financial
"tax withholding obligations 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 discretionary trades"
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.
equity incentive plans financial
"mandated by the Issuer's election under its equity incentive plans to require the satisfaction"
Equity incentive plans are company programs that pay employees, executives, or directors with company stock, stock options, or share units instead of or in addition to cash, aiming to align their interests with shareholders—like giving team members a stake in the house they help build. For investors this matters because such plans can motivate better company performance but also dilute existing ownership and increase reported compensation costs, so they affect future earnings, voting power, and share value.
performance stock options financial
"Represents performance stock options granted to the reporting person on September 1, 2020"
FAQ
What insider transaction did Twist Bioscience (TWST) report for CEO Emily Leproust?
Twist Bioscience reported that CEO Emily M. Leproust had 5,127 Common Stock shares sold at $57.1488 per share. The filing states these were non-discretionary "sell to cover" transactions used to satisfy tax withholding obligations from vesting Restricted Stock Units.
What stock options does the Twist Bioscience (TWST) CEO retain after this Form 4 event?
The CEO retains an employee stock option covering 64,950 underlying Common Stock shares with a $67.8500 exercise price. The filing notes this option is exercisable and carries an expiration date of August 31, 2030, reflecting a continuing derivative equity position.