Form 4: Merit Medical CEO Exercises Options, Adjusts Holdings
Insider Transaction Report
Merit Medical Systems CEO Fred P. Lampropoulos exercised stock options and adjusted his beneficial ownership through tax-related share surrenders.
Summary
- Fred P. Lampropoulos, President and CEO of Merit Medical Systems Inc. (MMSI), exercised non-qualified stock options on August 29, 2025.
- He acquired 159,151 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $55.73 per share.
- Concurrently, he surrendered 124,824 shares of Common Stock to the Issuer at $90.54 per share to cover payroll taxes and the option exercise price, with no open market sales.
- His spouse also exercised options, acquiring 2,000 shares at $55.73 and surrendering 1,454 shares at $90.54 for tax purposes.
- Following these transactions, Mr. Lampropoulos directly holds 1,079,955 shares of Common Stock.
- Indirect holdings include 97,909 shares in a 401(k) plan, 90 shares held by his spouse as custodian for a child, and 8,280.258 shares held by his spouse.
Sentiment
Score: 5
Explanation: The filing reports routine insider transactions (option exercise and tax withholding) which are generally neutral in sentiment. There are no open market sales indicating a change in sentiment, nor are there significant new acquisitions beyond the option exercise.
Positives
- The exercise of options indicates management's continued engagement and realization of long-term incentives.
Negatives
- A significant number of shares (124,824 by Mr. Lampropoulos and 1,454 by his spouse) were surrendered to the company to cover taxes and exercise costs, which is a common practice but reduces the net shares added to direct ownership.
Future Outlook
NA
Industry Context
NA
Stakeholder Impact
- Shareholders: The transactions reflect the exercise of executive compensation, which is a standard part of management's incentive structure. The shares surrendered for tax purposes do not enter the open market.
- Employees: The filing pertains to executive compensation and does not directly impact the broader employee base beyond the CEO's compensation structure.
Key Dates
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 03/01/2020 | Commencement of equal annual installments of 20% for certain non-qualified stock options. |
| 06/22/2020 | Date by which options not vested were forfeited from an original grant of 10,000 options to spouse. |
| 02/26/2021 | Commencement of equal annual installments of 25% for certain non-qualified stock options. |
| 03/19/2022 | Commencement of equal annual installments of 25% for certain non-qualified stock options. |
| 02/28/2024 | Commencement of equal annual installments of 25% for certain non-qualified stock options. |
| 08/29/2025 | Date of reported transactions (option exercise and share disposition for tax). |
| 09/03/2025 | Date the Form 4 was signed. |
| 03/01/2026 | Expiration date for certain non-qualified stock options. |
| 02/26/2027 | Expiration date for certain non-qualified stock options. |
| 03/19/2028 | Expiration date for certain non-qualified stock options. |
| 02/28/2030 | Expiration date for certain non-qualified stock options. |
Keywords
Merit Medical Systems, MMSI, Fred P. Lampropoulos, CEO, Stock Options, Insider Trading, Form 4, Equity Compensation, Beneficial Ownership
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