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SEC Form 4 transaction code

Form 4 Code G: Bona Fide Gift

Code G marks a bona fide gift of securities: shares given away, for example to a charity or a family trust, or received as a gift.

“Bona fide gift”
SEC Form 4, General Instruction 8 (Transaction Codes), under “Other Section 16(b) Exempt Transaction and Small Acquisition Codes (except for Rule 16b-3 codes above)”. Form 4 and instructions (PDF, sec.gov)

How often code G appears in real filings

Share of transaction rows
1.7%
1,022 of 58,848 rows, 7th most common
Filings with a code G row
3.1%
725 of 23,544 filings
Companies
459
of 2,152 in the sample
Median days, trade to filing
2
calendar days

962 of the rows are in Table I (non-derivative securities) and 60 in Table II (derivative securities).

Sample: 58,848 transaction rows in 23,544 Form 4 and 4/A filings filed Jul 23 – Nov 9, 2026 by insiders of 2,152 companies with an AlphaScala stock page. Rows are counted as filed; see how the codes are counted.

SEC Form 4 filings as of Nov 9, 2026

Reading code G on a Form 4

A gift moves shares without a sale price, so G rows usually show $0. The donor’s holdings fall. When the recipient is one the insider also reports for, such as a family trust, the same filing can show the shares arriving as an indirect holding.

Gifts used to be reportable on the annual Form 5. SEC amendments adopted in December 2022 require dispositions of bona fide gifts to be reported on Form 4 within two business days, starting February 27, 2023. The current form’s General Instruction 4(a) lists "dispositions of bona fide gifts" among the transactions that must be reported.

Rule 16b-5 exempts bona fide gifts, and transfers by will or the laws of descent (code W), from the Section 16(b) short-swing profit rule.

Code G in real filings

Recent Form 4 lines coded G, chosen from the newest filings in the sample, one company each. Figures are as filed; each links to the filing on sec.gov.

MLCOMelco Resorts & Entertainment LTD

Filing on sec.gov
Insider
HO LAWRENCE YAU LUNG, Chief Executive Officer
Transaction date
Sep 16, 2026
Filed
Sep 18, 2026
Table
I, non-derivative
Shares
16,505,664
Price
$0.00
Shares × price
–
Held after
8,797,083 (direct)
  • HO LAWRENCE YAU LUNG (Chief Executive Officer) reported a bona fide gift involving 16,505,664 shares.
  • Shares held after the transaction: 8,797,083, held directly.
  • The same filing also reports 1 code G row (9,934,422 shares).
  • Filed 2 days after the transaction date.

PEGAPEGASYSTEMS INC

Filing on sec.gov
Insider
TREFLER ALAN, C.E.O. & Chairman
Transaction date
Sep 14, 2026
Filed
Sep 16, 2026
Table
I, non-derivative
Shares
5,399,303
Price
$0.00
Shares × price
–
Held after
16,275,828 (indirect)
  • TREFLER ALAN (C.E.O. & Chairman) reported a bona fide gift involving 5,399,303 shares.
  • Shares held after the transaction: 16,275,828, held indirectly (Alan N. Trefler Irrevocable Non-GST Trust of 2022).
  • The same filing also reports 2 code G rows (5,399,303 shares).
  • Filed 2 days after the transaction date.

ASBASSOCIATED BANC-CORP

Filing on sec.gov
Insider
Kotouc Wende L, Director
Transaction date
Sep 10, 2026
Filed
Sep 14, 2026
Table
I, non-derivative
Shares
3,328,692
Price
$0.00
Shares × price
–
Held after
4,993,039 (indirect)
  • Kotouc Wende L (Director) reported a bona fide gift involving 3,328,692 shares.
  • Shares held after the transaction: 4,993,039, held indirectly (Spouse).
  • The same filing also reports 1 code G row (3,328,692 shares).
  • Filed 4 days after the transaction date.

Codes read alongside G

Questions about these codes

How common is code G on Form 4?

In AlphaScala’s sample of 58,848 Form 4 transaction rows filed Jul 23 – Nov 9, 2026, code G made up 1.7% of rows (1,022) and appeared on 3.1% of filings (725 of 23,544). It was the 7th most common of the 17 codes found.

Does code G mean the insider sold shares?

No. G is a "bona fide gift". No sale price is involved, which is why G rows usually show $0. If the recipient later sells and is itself a reporting person, that sale is reported separately.

When must a gift be reported on Form 4?

Within two business days, like other Form 4 transactions. Before the SEC’s December 2022 amendments took effect on February 27, 2023, insiders could report gifts on Form 5 after the end of the company’s fiscal year.

Why does one gift appear on two rows?

The donor’s disposition and the recipient’s acquisition can both be reportable when the insider has a pecuniary interest in the recipient, such as a family trust. The two rows carry the same share count, often one held directly and one indirectly.

Definition: SEC Form 4, General Instruction 8 (sec.gov). Examples and counts: AlphaScala's copy of SEC EDGAR Form 4 filings. See all 20 Form 4 transaction codes, insider cluster buys and our methodology.

Educational reference only, not investment advice. Insider transactions have many motives and a Form 4 does not record them. See our risk disclaimer.