Chartier Kirk 4

What Happened

• Kirk Chartier, a director of Lifeway Foods, was granted 857 derivative awards on March 31, 2026. The filing lists the transaction as an award/grant (code A); no per-share price or total dollar value is reported.
• Footnotes indicate these awards include restricted stock units (RSUs) and phantom stock. The RSUs are contingent rights to receive one share each and vest on December 30, 2026 if Chartier remains a director. The phantom stock (also one share per unit) was acquired by deferring his cash director compensation for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and is payable when he no longer serves as a director.

Key Details

• Transaction date: 2026-03-31; Form 4 filed: 2026-04-02 (filed within the usual 2-business-day reporting window).
• Amount: 857 derivative shares (award/grant). Price: N/A — no market value shown on the Form 4, so total value is not disclosed.
• Vesting/payment: RSUs vest 12/30/2026 contingent on continued service; phantom stock payable upon departure from the board.
• Shares owned after transaction: not specified in the provided report.
• Plan/reference: Non-Employee Director Equity and Deferred Compensation Plan (phantom shares acquired via cash compensation deferral).

Context

• These are derivative awards (not open-market purchases or sales). RSUs are a delayed compensation vehicle — not immediately tradable — and phantom stock is a deferred-pay arrangement. Such grants are common for non-employee directors and reflect compensation, not an immediate cash investment or sale.