Smith Mark A. 4

What Happened
Mark A. Smith, President & CEO and a director of NioCorp Developments Ltd. (NB), was granted a derivative award covering 293,160 shares on July 6, 2026. The award was reported as acquired at $0.00 (no cash paid) and is recorded as a derivative security rather than an open-market purchase or sale.

Key Details

• Transaction type/code: Award/Grant (A) of derivative securities (likely options or RSUs).
• Transaction date and filing: Grant date 2026-07-06; Form 4 filed 2026-07-08 (timely).
• Price: Acquired at $0.00 (no cash paid at grant).
• Vesting: 34% vested on the grant date; 33% vests on the first anniversary; remaining balance vests on the second anniversary (July 6, 2028). (Footnote F1)
• Shares owned after transaction: Not specified in the provided filing excerpt.
• No indication of immediate sale or cashless exercise—this is a compensation award, not a market purchase.

Context
This is a compensation-related derivative grant to the CEO, common for aligning executive incentives with long-term shareholder value. Because a portion vested immediately, Smith has some vested rights now, but the majority vests over the next two years. Derivative awards are different from purchases or sales and do not by themselves indicate the insider is buying or selling stock in the open market.