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Code A: Grant or award under Rule 16b-3(d)

Short-swing exempt
27.7%of all 2025 Form 4 transactions
21.8%of Table I lines (non-derivative)
43.5%of Table II lines (derivative)
106,411transaction lines filed
Grant, award or other acquisition pursuant to Rule 16b-3(d)

Use it when

  • A new RSU, PSU, stock option, or other similar equity incentive plan award is granted.
  • An annual or one-time equity award to an officer or director.
  • Another acquisition of issuer securities under the Rule 16b-3(d) exemption.

Practitioners' note

There is a preference split among practitioners regarding whether 16b-3 exempt awards should be reported in Table I upon grant, and then the vesting occurs silently, or whether to report the award in Table II upon grant, then again when it vests as a conversion to the Table I security. Both approaches are defensible; the Table I at award approach is less administratively burdensome since it doesn't require separate reporting on the vesting of such awards and is the approach recommended by Section16agent.com; consult with qualified counsel as individual circumstances may vary.

EDGAR expects

TableTable I or Table II, depending on whether the security is a derivative and the issuer's preferred reporting approach (see the practitioners' note above)
CodeA
Acquired/DisposedA, acquisition
Price per shareA value ($0 is common) or a footnote
Shares owned afterReflects holdings already reported or expected to be reported by the date of the form

What the footnote typically covers

  • What is the vesting schedule for the award?
  • Was any consideration other than cash involved, and what was it?

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Related codes

Based on all 383,732 transaction lines reported on original Form 4 filings in calendar year 2025 (279,260 in Table I, 104,472 in Table II). Holdings lines and amendments are excluded. Tallied from the SEC's Insider Transactions Data Sets.

Updated August 2026
Disclaimer

General information about SEC reporting mechanics, not legal advice. Confirm treatment with counsel before filing.