Dodge R Stanton 4

What Happened

• Dodge R. Stanton, a director of EchoStar Corp (ECHO), had stock options automatically exercised on July 1, 2026 under the Issuer's 2017 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan. The filing shows an acquisition of 5,000 shares at an exercise price basis of $24.49 per share (total $122,450).
• To cover the exercise price and related tax obligations, the issuer withheld 1,214 shares valued at $100.88 each (total about $122,468). The net effect based on the reported lines is an increase of 3,786 shares held by Stanton from this exercise (5,000 acquired minus 1,214 withheld). The report also includes a separate 5,000-share derivative conversion line reported at $0.00 (see Key Details).

Key Details

• Transaction date: July 1, 2026; Form 4 filed July 7, 2026 (filing date shown in accession).
• Reported transactions:
  • Exercise (M): 5,000 shares @ $24.49 (acquired) — $122,450.
  • Shares withheld for exercise/taxes (F): 1,214 shares @ $100.88 (disposed) — $122,468.
  • Exercise/derivative line (M): 5,000 shares @ $0.00 (disposed) — $0.
• Shares owned after the transaction: not specified in the provided excerpt.
• Relevant footnotes: automatic exercise upon option expiration (F1); shares withheld to cover exercise price and taxes (F2); ownership reported "By 401(k)" for one line (F3); options were 100% vested at grant (F4).
• No late-filing flag was provided in the data you supplied.

Context

• This was an automatic exercise and net-share settlement (issuer withheld shares to cover exercise price and tax obligations), a common administrative outcome rather than an open-market purchase or sale. Cashless/net share withholding is routine and does not by itself signal personal buying or selling intent.
• For retail investors, option exercises that result in a net increase in held shares (as here, +3,786 by the basic math of the report) mean the insider ends up with more company stock, but filings don’t state the insider’s motive.