Bardenett Thomas 4

What Happened

• Thomas Bardenett, EVP and COO of RLJ Lodging Trust, was granted 34,319 restricted common shares on 2026-03-18 (reporting code A). The shares vested immediately per the filing. To satisfy tax withholding obligations, Thomas surrendered 19,080 of those shares (reporting code F) at $7.60 per share, generating $145,008 in withholding value.
• This was not a market purchase or opportunistic sale — it was an equity award with a routine tax-withholding disposition (common when restricted shares vest).

Key Details

• Transaction dates: grant and vesting on 2026-03-18; Form 4 filed 2026-03-20 (timely).
• Award: 34,319 restricted common shares granted (acquisition price reported as $0.00; footnote F1 says shares vesting immediately under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan).
• Tax withholding: 19,080 shares surrendered at $7.60/share to satisfy tax obligations, value $145,008 (footnote F2).
• Shares owned after transaction: not disclosed in the provided excerpt of the filing.
• Filing timeliness: Filed two business days after the transaction date (appears timely).
• Transaction codes: A = award/grant; F = shares surrendered for tax withholding.

Context

• This was a grant and immediate vesting of restricted shares rather than a purchase (which might signal confidence) or an open-market sale (which can signal cashing out). The surrender of shares to cover taxes is a routine administrative step (a form of cashless withholding) and does not by itself indicate a change in insider sentiment.