Kulkarni Ashish K 4

What Happened

• Ashish K. Kulkarni, a director of Ashland Inc. (ASH), received a grant of 2,449 restricted stock units (RSUs) on Jan 20, 2026 (derivative award valued at $61.23 each, total ~$149,952). On Jan 21, 2026, 2,113 RSUs vested and were converted/exercised into 2,113 shares (reported as acquired at $0.00). The filing shows two identical exercise/conversion entries for the 2,113 RSUs; footnotes clarify this reflects the Jan 21, 2026 vesting of RSUs granted Jan 21, 2025.

Key Details

• Transaction dates and values:
  • Jan 20, 2026: Grant (A) — 2,449 RSUs @ $61.23 each = $149,952 (derivative award).
  • Jan 21, 2026: Exercise/conversion (M) — 2,113 RSUs converted to 2,113 shares @ $0.00.
• Shares owned after transaction: not specified in the filing.
• Notable footnotes:
  • The 2,113 shares reflect vesting of RSUs granted Jan 21, 2025; each RSU = 1 share.
  • The 2,449 RSU grant vests one year after grant (per plan rules).
  • Balance includes additional RSUs received in lieu of cash dividends (dividend equivalents).
• Filing timeliness: Report filed Jan 22, 2026 for transactions on Jan 20–21, 2026 — within the usual 2-business-day Form 4 window (timely).

Context

• These transactions are awards/settlements of RSUs (derivative compensation), not open‑market purchases or sales. The vested RSUs were converted to shares (reported at $0 acquisition price), and there is no indication the shares were immediately sold. Such grants and vesting are routine compensation for insiders and do not, by themselves, indicate a buy or sell signal.