SEIDMAN LAWRENCE B 4

What Happened Lawrence B. Seidman, a director of Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (BWFG), was granted 1,455 shares of restricted stock on February 9, 2026. The shares were issued at $0.00 (no cash paid) as an award under the company’s stock plan. This is a compensation award (not an open-market purchase or sale).

Key Details

• Transaction date: February 9, 2026; Form 4 filed February 10, 2026 (timely).
• Transaction type/code: Award/Grant (A).
• Shares granted: 1,455 restricted shares; price: $0.00; total cash value shown: $0.
• Vesting schedule for this grant (footnote): 485 shares vest on Feb 7, 2027; 485 on Feb 7, 2028; 485 on Feb 7, 2029.
• Other outstanding awards noted in filing:
  • 1,600 shares (granted Dec 30, 2022) with 1,200 vested as of filing.
  • 1,600 shares (granted Dec 29, 2023) with 1,066 vested as of filing.
  • 1,800 shares (granted Feb 7, 2025) with 600 vested as of filing.
• Shares owned after the transaction: total beneficial ownership not specified in the excerpt; see the full Form 4 for post-transaction ownership details.

Context Restricted stock awards are compensation that vests over time and do not represent an immediate cash purchase of shares. Because these shares are subject to future vesting, they generally reflect compensation/retention arrangements rather than an insider "buy" signal. For the complete ownership picture and any tax-withholding or other mechanics, refer to the full Form 4 filing (Accession No. 0001026081-26-000002).