Vericel (VCEL) CMO sells 3,472 shares after option exercise under 10b5-1 plan
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
4
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Vericel Corp Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Mark Hopper exercised and sold a small block of shares in a pre-planned transaction. On April 2, 2026 he exercised stock options for 3,472 shares of common stock at $10.95 per share and sold the same 3,472 shares at $35.00 per share under an automatic Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. After these transactions, he directly holds 75,556 Vericel common shares and 9,132 stock options that are exercisable at $10.95 per share and expire on August 20, 2028.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insider Trade Summary 10b5-1
Net Seller: 3,472 shares ($121,520)
Net Sell
3 txns
Insider
Hopper Jonathan Mark
Role
Chief Medical Officer
Sold
3,472 shs ($122K)
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Stock Option (Right to Buy) | 3,472 | $0.00 | -- |
| Exercise | Common Stock | 3,472 | $10.95 | $38K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 3,472 | $35.00 | $122K |
Holdings After Transaction:
Stock Option (Right to Buy) — 9,132 shares (Direct);
Common Stock — 79,028 shares (Direct)
Footnotes (1)
- These shares include shares acquired pursuant to the Issuer's 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan in transactions that were exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c). The sales reported in this Form 4 were effected by an automatic sale pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on May 30, 2025. These options, representing the right to purchase 135,000 shares, became exercisable on August 20, 2019, the first anniversary of the date of grant, with 25% vesting and the remaining 75% vesting in equal quarterly installments over three years thereafter, contingent upon continued service to the Company.
Key Figures
Shares sold: 3,472 shares
Options exercised: 3,472 shares at $10.95/share
Common shares held after: 75,556 shares
+2 more
5 metrics
Shares sold
3,472 shares
Open-market sale of Vericel common stock on April 2, 2026 at $35.00
Options exercised
3,472 shares at $10.95/share
Stock options exercised into Vericel common stock on April 2, 2026
Common shares held after
75,556 shares
Direct Vericel common stock ownership following April 2, 2026 transactions
Stock options remaining
9,132 options at $10.95
Direct option holdings after transactions; options expire on August 20, 2028
Original option grant size
135,000 shares
Stock options grant described in footnote with vesting over four years
Key Terms
Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Rule 16b-3(d), Stock Option (Right to Buy), +1 more
5 terms
Rule 10b5-1 trading plan financial
"The sales reported in this Form 4 were effected by an automatic sale pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan"
A Rule 10b5-1 trading plan is a pre-arranged schedule that allows company insiders to buy or sell stock at specific times, even if they have inside information. It helps prevent accusations of unfair trading by making these transactions look planned and transparent, rather than sneaky or illegal.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan financial
"These shares include shares acquired pursuant to the Issuer's 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan"
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
"transactions that were exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c)"
Stock Option (Right to Buy) financial
"Stock Option (Right to Buy) as the derivative security title"
exercise or conversion of derivative security financial
"transaction_code_description: Exercise or conversion of derivative security"
FAQ
What insider transaction did Vericel (VCEL) report for its Chief Medical Officer?
Vericel’s Chief Medical Officer, Jonathan Mark Hopper, exercised options for 3,472 common shares at $10.95, then sold 3,472 shares at $35.00 on April 2, 2026. This was an exercise-and-sell sequence involving a relatively small portion of his overall holdings.
Was the Vericel (VCEL) insider stock sale pre-planned under Rule 10b5-1?
Yes. The sales on April 2, 2026 were executed automatically under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by Jonathan Mark Hopper on May 30, 2025. Such plans schedule trades in advance, reducing the significance of short-term market timing in these transactions.
What were the option terms in the Vericel (VCEL) CMO’s Form 4 filing?
The reported stock options have an exercise price of $10.95 per share and expire on August 20, 2028. Footnotes state the original grant covered 135,000 shares, vesting 25% after one year and the remaining 75% in equal quarterly installments over three years.