Vital Energy (NYSE: VTLE) director reports cash payout for deferred stock

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Vital Energy, Inc. director John Driver reported the cash settlement of his deferred stock awards on December 15, 2025, the closing date of the company's merger with Crescent Energy. Deferred stock units representing 15,482 shares of Vital common stock became payable in a lump sum cash amount calculated using a $17.92 share price, the closing price on December 12, 2025. Following the conversion of these awards and related stock transactions, he reported no remaining beneficial ownership of Vital common stock or related deferred stock units.

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

X

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^*

Driver John

(Last) (First) (Middle)

521 E. 2ND STREET, SUITE 1000

(Street)

TULSA OK 74120

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Vital Energy, Inc. [ VTLE ]

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

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/15/2025

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	12/15/2025		M		15,482	A	(1)(2)	16,371	D
Common Stock	12/15/2025		D		16,371	D	(1)(2)	0	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
Deferred Stock Units	(2)	12/15/2025		M			15,482	(2)	(2)	Common Stock	15,482	(2)	0	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. On December 15, 2025 (the "Closing Date"), the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated August 24, 2025, (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Crescent Energy Company, a Delaware corporation ("Crescent"), Venus Merger Sub I Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent ("Merger Sub Inc."), Venus Merger Sub II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent ("Merger Sub LLC"), and Vital Energy, Inc. (the "Issuer") were consummated. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, (i) Merger Sub Inc. merged with and into the Issuer (the "First Company Merger"), with the Issuer continuing as the surviving entity (the "Surviving Corporation") and (ii) immediately following the First Company Merger, the Surviving Corporation merged with and into Merger Sub LLC, with Merger Sub LLC continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent.

2. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the amounts in the Reporting Person's "Deferred Stock Account" (as such term is defined under the Issuer's Director Deferred Compensation Plan) (each, a "Vital Director Deferred Stock Award") became payable in a lump sum cash payment equal to (i) the total number of shares of the Issuer's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Vital Common Stock"), subject to such Vital Director Deferred Stock Award and (ii) $17.92, the closing price of one share of Vital Common Stock on December 12, 2025 (the trading date immediately preceding the Closing Date).

	/s/ Mark D. Denny as attorney-in-fact for John Driver	12/15/2025
	** 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.

FAQ

What insider transaction did Vital Energy (VTLE) director John Driver report?

Director John Driver reported the cash settlement of his deferred stock units on December 15, 2025, in connection with the closing of Vital Energy's merger with Crescent Energy.

How many Vital Energy shares were tied to John Driver's deferred stock awards?

John Driver's Vital Director Deferred Stock Awards were tied to 15,482 shares of Vital Energy common stock.

What price per share was used to calculate John Driver's cash payment from Vital Energy (VTLE)?

The lump sum cash payment was based on a $17.92 share price, the closing price of one share of Vital Energy common stock on December 12, 2025.

How is John Driver's insider transaction related to the Crescent Energy merger?

The cash settlement of John Driver's deferred stock awards occurred pursuant to the Merger Agreement and on the Closing Date, when Vital Energy completed a series of mergers and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent Energy Company.

Did John Driver retain any Vital Energy (VTLE) securities after this transaction?

No. After the reported transactions, John Driver's beneficial ownership of Vital Energy common stock and related deferred stock units was reported as zero.

What was John Driver's relationship to Vital Energy at the time of the transaction?

John Driver was a director of Vital Energy, Inc. at the time of the reported deferred stock settlement.