Apple CEO John Ternus Granted 161,258 Restricted Stock Units

Executive Summary

On September 29, 2026, a Form 4 was filed for Apple Inc. ($AAPL) reporting equity awards granted to CEO and Director John Ternus on September 27, 2026. The awards comprise two tranches of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) totaling 161,258 units.

Transaction Details

1. Time-Based RSUs:

   • Units Granted: 40,315
   • Acquisition Price: $0.00
   • Vesting Schedule: 12.5% scheduled to vest on April 15, 2027, with the remaining units vesting in semi-annual installments of 12.5% over a four-year period ending October 15, 2030.

2. Performance-Based RSUs:

   • Units Granted (Target): 120,943
   • Acquisition Price: $0.00
   • Vesting Schedule & Conditions: Scheduled to vest on October 1, 2029. Between 0% and 200% of the target units will vest subject to Apple's relative total shareholder return (TSR) from the start of fiscal year 2027 through the end of fiscal year 2029.

Market & Governance Implications

• Routine Compensation Cycle: These transactions reflect standard annual executive equity grants under Apple's incentive compensation program rather than open-market purchases or sales.
• Long-Term Alignment: The heavy weighting toward performance-based RSUs (75% of the total grant) directly ties executive compensation to Apple's relative total shareholder return over a three-year period.