Aqua Metals CEO Stephen Cotton Sells 3,305 Shares

What Happened

• Stephen Cotton, CEO of Aqua Metals (AQMS), had 3,305 shares withheld/returned to the company to cover tax withholding on the vesting of a previously reported restricted share grant. The shares are reported disposed at $2.67 per share for a total of approximately $8,824. This was a tax-withholding transaction (routine), not an open-market sale.

Key Details

• Transaction date: August 19, 2026
• Filing date: August 21, 2026 (reporting period Aug 19, 2026)
• Price per share: $2.67; Shares withheld/disposed: 3,305; Approximate value: $8,824
• Transaction code: F — tax withholding to cover tax liability on vested restricted shares (shares withheld and returned to the plan)
• Footnote F1: Confirms these shares were withheld and returned to the plan to cover tax liability for the Aug 19, 2026 vesting of a previously reported restricted share grant
• Footnote F2: Indicates holdings include 73,718 shares underlying restricted stock units (RSUs) that are not yet vested/deliverable
• Filing timeliness: Filed two days after the transaction (within the typical 2-business-day Section 16 filing window)

Context

• This was a withholding-for-taxes event tied to RSU vesting, not a discretionary sale; such withholding transactions are routine and do not necessarily signal insider sentiment. The filing shows unvested RSUs remain outstanding (per F2). Purchases or open-market sales by insiders are generally more informative about intent than tax-withholding disposals.