Viasat (VSAT) SVP Blair James Exercises RSUs; Shares Withheld

What Happened Blair Robert James, SVP & General Counsel of Viasat Inc. (VSAT), had 15,620 restricted stock units (RSUs) vest and convert into common shares on September 17, 2026. The conversion was recorded as an exercise/conversion of a derivative (code M) at $0.00 per share (RSUs convert 1-for-1). To satisfy tax withholding (code F), 8,427 of those shares were withheld by the company at an effective share price of $73.02, resulting in approximately $615,340 withheld. Net shares delivered to Mr. James after withholding: 7,193 shares (15,620 - 8,427).

Key Details

• Transaction date: 2026-09-17; Form 4 filed 2026-09-21 (reporting period 9/17/2026).
• Conversion: 15,620 RSUs converted to 15,620 shares (code M) at $0.00 exercise price.
• Tax withholding: 8,427 shares withheld (code F) at $73.02 → ~$615,340 withheld; these shares were not sold on market but offset from vested shares (Footnote F1).
• Net shares received: 7,193 shares.
• Grant context: Original RSU grant was 45,940 units (granted 08/17/2025) with vesting: 34% on 9/17/2026, 33% on 6/7/2027, and 33% on 6/7/2028 (Footnote F2). RSUs are subject to forfeiture until vested (Footnote F3).
• Shares owned after transaction: not specified in the provided excerpt.
• Filing timing: Form filed 4 days after the transaction date; Form 4s for officers are generally required within 2 business days, so this filing appears later than the usual deadline.

Context This was a standard RSU vest-and-settle event (no cash purchase by the insider). The company withheld a portion of the vested shares to cover tax obligations (a net settlement), rather than Mr. James selling shares on the open market. Such withholding is a routine administrative step and does not by itself signal a buy or sell decision.