Chattopadhyay Sanat 4

What Happened
Sanat Chattopadhyay, Executive Vice President and President of Merck Manufacturing Division, had 2,597 restricted stock units (RSUs) convert into Merck common shares on 2026-04-29, with a reported value of $285,748 (2,597 × $110.03). To satisfy tax withholding/obligations, 1,130 of those shares were withheld (reported as disposed) with a value of $124,334. Net shares retained from this vesting event = 1,467 shares (2,597 vested − 1,130 withheld).

Key Details

• Transaction date: 2026-04-29; reported on Form 4 filed 2026-05-01 (timely filing).
• Vesting/conversion: 2,597 RSUs converted to common shares, reported at $110.03/share (total $285,748). (Transaction code M = exercise/conversion of derivative.)
• Tax withholding/payment: 1,130 shares withheld to cover tax liabilities, valued at $110.03/share (total $124,334). (Code F = payment of exercise price or tax liability.)
• Net shares retained from this installment: 1,467 shares.
• Footnotes: F4/F5 confirm these are restricted stock units (each RSU = 1 share) and vest/distribute in three equal installments (4/29/2026, 4/29/2027, 4/29/2028). F1–F3 note the reporting person serves as sole trustee of certain grantor retained annuity trusts.
• Filing timeliness: No late filing indicated.

Context
This was a routine equity compensation vesting (RSU conversion), not an open-market buy or a deliberate sale for proceeds—only shares were withheld to cover taxes, which is common. For retail investors, purchases signal stronger insider conviction than routine vesting; this filing mainly documents compensation delivery and tax withholding rather than a trading decision.