Valete James E. 4

What Happened
James E. Valete, EVP & Chief SBA Lending Officer of First Savings Financial Group (FSFG), had 1,821 shares disposed (withheld) on January 20, 2026 to cover tax liabilities. The shares were valued at $31.85 each, for a total value of $57,999. This was a tax-withholding disposal (Form 4 transaction code F), not an open-market sale.

Key Details

• Transaction date and price: 2026-01-20 at $31.85 per share (1,821 shares; $57,999 total).
• Transaction type: Code F — payment of exercise price or tax liability (shares withheld/disposed).
• Shares owned after transaction: Not specified in the provided excerpt of the filing.
• Notable footnotes: Multiple footnotes (F1–F5) indicate restricted stock vesting schedules were accelerated to the transaction date, and footnotes (F6–F8) note accelerated vesting of stock options — all per the Agreement and Plan of Merger with First Merchants Corporation.
• Filing timeliness: The Form 4 was filed on 2026-01-23 for a 2026-01-20 transaction, which appears to be one business day late (Form 4s are generally due within two business days).

Context
A tax-withholding disposal is routine: shares are surrendered to cover tax obligations arising from vesting/exercise and do not necessarily indicate a decision to take investment gains via a market sale. The filing’s footnotes show the underlying awards (restricted stock and options) had vesting accelerated because of the announced merger with First Merchants Corporation, which likely triggered the tax event that required withholding.