Kevin F. McLaughlin, a director of Vericel Corp (NASDAQ:VCEL), filed a Form 4 on August 14, 2026, reporting the exercise of stock options and the sale of 7,000 shares of common stock on August 12, 2026.

Key Highlights

  • Option exercise: McLaughlin exercised a stock option for 7,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $13.05 per share on August 12, 2026.
  • Share sale: 7,000 shares were sold at $44.53 per share on August 12, 2026, pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
  • 10b5-1 plan: According to the filing, the sales were effected by an automatic sale pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on May 12, 2025.
  • Remaining ownership: Following these transactions, McLaughlin directly holds 18,300 shares of common stock and 7,000 stock options.
  • Option origin: The filing states the exercised options were originally granted on May 2, 2018, and became exercisable in equal monthly installments over one year, contingent upon continued service to the company.

McLaughlin Option Exercise and Planned Sale Details

According to the Form 4 filed with the SEC, Kevin F. McLaughlin, a director at Vericel Corp, completed two linked transactions on August 12, 2026. First, he exercised a stock option covering 7,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $13.05 per share, coded as transaction type "M" in the filing. This brought his directly held common stock position to 25,300 shares immediately following the exercise.

On the same date, McLaughlin disposed of 7,000 shares of common stock at a price of $44.53 per share, coded as transaction type "S." The filing notes that these sales were carried out automatically under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan the reporting person adopted on May 12, 2025. After this sale, his directly held common stock position stood at 18,300 shares.

Regarding the options exercised, the filing explains that they represent part of a grant originally covering 17,500 shares, granted on May 2, 2018, with vesting in equal monthly installments over one year subject to continued service. The remaining 7,000 stock options, carrying an exercise price of $13.05 and an expiration date of May 2, 2028, are listed as directly owned following the reported transactions. The Form 4 was signed by Sean Flynn as attorney-in-fact for Kevin McLaughlin and filed on August 14, 2026.

What Was Disclosed

The filing discloses a director's exercise of 7,000 stock options at $13.05 per share and a same-day sale of 7,000 shares at $44.53 per share, both on August 12, 2026, with the sale executed under a pre-established Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.