Vital Farms (VITL) CLO Joanne Bal acquires 500 ESPP shares at $7.21

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Vital Farms, Inc. reported that officer Joanne Bal, CLO, Secretary & Head of Impact, acquired 500 shares of common stock through the company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan at $7.21 per share, equal to 85% of the closing price on the purchase date. Following this ESPP acquisition, she directly holds 55,843 shares of Vital Farms common stock.

Insider Trade Summary

1 transaction reported

Mixed 1 txn

Insider Bal Joanne

Role CLO, Secy. & Head of Impact

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock	500	$7.21	$4K

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 55,843 shares (Direct, null)

Footnotes (1)

1. [object Object]

Key Figures

ESPP shares acquired: 500 shares ESPP purchase price: $7.21/share Holdings after transaction: 55,843 shares +1 more

4 metrics

ESPP shares acquired 500 shares Common stock acquired under 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

ESPP purchase price $7.21/share Purchase price equal to 85% of closing price on purchase date

Holdings after transaction 55,843 shares Shares beneficially owned following reported transaction

ESPP discount 85% of closing price ESPP terms set purchase price at 85% of closing price

Key Terms

2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, ESPP, Rule 16b-3(d), Rule 16b-3(c), +1 more

5 terms

2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan financial

"These shares were acquired under the Issuer's 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "ESPP")"

ESPP financial

"These shares were acquired under the Issuer's 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "ESPP")"

An Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) is a company program that lets employees buy the company’s shares at a reduced price, usually by setting aside a small portion of their pay over time. It matters to investors because it encourages employees to own part of the business—like giving staff a discounted membership— which can boost commitment and performance, while also potentially increasing the number of shares available and affecting shareholder value.

Rule 16b-3(d) regulatory

"in a transaction that was 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

"in a transaction that was 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.

beneficially owned following reported transaction financial

"total_shares_following_transaction": "55843.0000"

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

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^*

Bal Joanne

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O VITAL FARMS, INC.

3601 SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE, SUITE A100

(Street)

AUSTIN TEXAS 78704

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Vital Farms, Inc. [ VITL ]

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

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	CLO, Secy. & Head of Impact

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/15/2026

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	05/15/2026		A(1)		500	A	$7.21	55,843	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. These shares were acquired under the Issuer's 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "ESPP") in a transaction that was exempt under both Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c). In accordance with the ESPP, these shares were purchased at a price equal to 85% of the closing price of Issuer's common stock on the purchase date.

	/s/ Francis Cullo, Attorney-in-Fact	05/19/2026
	** 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).
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)

FAQ

What insider transaction did Vital Farms (VITL) report for Joanne Bal?

Vital Farms reported that officer Joanne Bal acquired 500 common shares through its 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The acquisition was recorded as a Form 4 transaction coded “A” for a grant, award, or other acquisition and treated as exempt under Rule 16b-3.

At what price did Joanne Bal acquire Vital Farms (VITL) shares under the ESPP?

Joanne Bal acquired 500 Vital Farms shares at $7.21 per share under the 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The footnote states this represented 85% of the closing price of Vital Farms common stock on the purchase date, consistent with the ESPP’s terms.

How many Vital Farms (VITL) shares does Joanne Bal hold after this transaction?

After the ESPP acquisition, Joanne Bal directly holds 55,843 Vital Farms common shares. The Form 4 lists this balance as “shares beneficially owned following reported transaction,” reflecting her updated direct ownership position after adding the 500 ESPP shares.

What was the nature of Joanne Bal’s Form 4 transaction in Vital Farms (VITL) stock?

The transaction is classified as an acquisition with code “A,” described as a grant, award, or other acquisition. Footnotes clarify the shares were purchased through the 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3(d) and Rule 16b-3(c).

Was Joanne Bal’s Vital Farms (VITL) share acquisition an open-market purchase?

No, the acquisition was made through the company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, not on the open market. The footnote explains the shares were bought at 85% of the closing price and the transaction was exempt under Rule 16b-3, indicating a compensation-related plan purchase.

What role does Joanne Bal hold at Vital Farms (VITL) in this Form 4 filing?

In this Form 4, Joanne Bal is identified as an officer of Vital Farms serving as CLO, Secretary & Head of Impact. Her reported transaction involves common stock acquired directly under the company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, updating her beneficial ownership position.