Form 4: Twist Bio CEO Sells Shares for Tax Obligations

Sentiment:

Insider Transaction Report 25 February 2026 4:05 PM

Twist Bioscience CEO Emily M. Leproust reported a non-discretionary sale of 7,205 common shares to cover tax withholding obligations related to vested restricted stock units.

Summary

Emily M. Leproust, CEO and Director of Twist Bioscience Corp. (TWST), reported a transaction involving the company's common stock.
On February 23, 2026, 7,205 shares of common stock were disposed of at a price of $46.7098 per share.
This sale was non-discretionary, mandated by the Issuer's equity incentive plans to cover tax withholding obligations associated with the vesting of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).
Following this transaction, Emily M. Leproust beneficially owns 863,052 shares of common stock directly.
The filing also details various employee stock options held by Ms. Leproust, including 150,879 shares at an exercise price of $8.82, 266,539 shares at $26.66, 131,290 shares at $23.33, and 64,950 shares at $67.85, which vested due to performance criteria on December 19, 2022.

Sentiment

Score: 5

Explanation: StockSavvy.ai views this as a routine, non-discretionary transaction for tax purposes, which typically has a neutral impact on market sentiment as it does not reflect a change in the executive's investment conviction.

Positives

The underlying event for the share sale was the vesting of Restricted Stock Units, indicating the achievement of performance or service milestones.
Performance stock options for 64,950 shares vested and became exercisable on December 19, 2022, as a result of the reporting person meeting applicable performance criteria.

Industry Context

StockSavvy.ai notes that 'sell to cover' transactions, such as the one reported by Twist Bioscience's CEO, are a common mechanism for executives to satisfy tax liabilities arising from equity compensation. These non-discretionary sales are generally not interpreted as a reflection of management's sentiment regarding the company's future performance, differentiating them from voluntary open-market sales.

Stakeholder Impact

Shareholders: Minimal direct impact as this is a routine, non-discretionary transaction for tax purposes, not indicative of a change in management's view on company prospects.
Employees: No direct impact mentioned.
Customers: No direct impact mentioned.
Suppliers: No direct impact mentioned.
Creditors: No direct impact mentioned.

Next Steps

Continued vesting of remaining employee stock options according to their respective schedules, subject to continuous service.

Key Dates

Date	Description
09/01/2016	25% of shares subject to an employee stock option (exercise price $5.95) vested, with 1/48th vesting monthly thereafter.
09/28/2017	10% of shares subject to an employee stock option (exercise price $8.82) vested.
09/28/2018	15% of shares subject to an employee stock option (exercise price $8.82) vested, with 1/48th vesting monthly thereafter.
10/31/2019	20% of shares subject to an employee stock option (exercise price $26.66) vested and became exercisable, with 1/60th vesting monthly thereafter.
09/01/2020	Grant date for performance stock options (exercise price $67.85).
10/24/2020	25% of shares subject to an employee stock option (exercise price $23.33) vested, with 1/48th vesting monthly thereafter.
12/19/2022	Performance stock options for 64,950 shares vested and became exercisable due to meeting applicable performance criteria.
09/28/2025	Expiration date for an employee stock option (exercise price $5.95).
02/23/2026	Transaction date for the disposition of 7,205 common shares to cover tax withholding obligations.
02/25/2026	Date the Form 4 was signed by the Reporting Person's Attorney-in-Fact.
09/28/2027	Expiration date for an employee stock option (exercise price $8.82).
11/18/2028	Expiration date for an employee stock option (exercise price $26.66).
10/23/2029	Expiration date for an employee stock option (exercise price $23.33).
08/31/2030	Expiration date for performance stock options (exercise price $67.85).

Recommendation

hold

This Form 4 reports a routine, non-discretionary 'sell to cover' transaction by the CEO to satisfy tax obligations upon RSU vesting. It does not reflect a discretionary investment decision and therefore provides no new fundamental information to alter an existing investment thesis. An investor would typically maintain their current position based on this filing.

Keywords

Twist Bioscience, TWST, Emily M. Leproust, CEO, Director, Form 4, Insider Trading, Stock Sale, Tax Withholding, Restricted Stock Units, RSU, Employee Stock Option, Equity Incentive Plan, Sell to Cover

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