2,914 material Form 8-K filings that 2,352 companies we cover made with the SEC in August 2026, each read and summarized by AI: what happened, the key figures, whether it reads positive or negative for shareholders, and how big a deal it is (impact 1-5). All of them were written later, when past filings were added: a selection, not every 8-K of the month (see the note below).
Rigetti Computing appointed David Rivas to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer and Andrew Bestwick as Chief Technology Officer, both effective August 18, 2026. The company said the changes create a dedicated systems delivery organization to handle deployments and support, while engineering focuses on processor development and its roadmap.
David Rivas, previously Chief Technology Officer, became Chief Operating Officer; his annual base salary was increased to $440,000.
Andrew Bestwick, previously Senior Vice President, Quantum Systems since January 2024, was appointed Chief Technology Officer.
Both executives report to President and CEO Dr. Subodh Kulkarni; the filing states the appointments are effective August 18, 2026.
Encore Capital Group increased its board from eight to nine directors and appointed Robert Beck as an independent director effective August 19, 2026. Beck, former President and CEO of Regional Management Corporation, will serve on the Audit and Risk Committees, and the filing states there are no related party transactions requiring disclosure.
Board size increased from 8 to 9 directors, effective August 19, 2026.
Robert Beck was previously President and CEO of Regional Management Corporation, an NYSE-listed consumer finance company.
The Board determined Beck is independent under Nasdaq listing standards and appointed him to the Audit and Risk Committees.
Beck will receive the standard non-employee director compensation program previously approved by the Board.
On August 17, 2026, Unity's Compensation Committee approved a special award of 880,000 performance-based restricted stock units to CEO Matthew Bromberg. The units vest in three tranches only if Bromberg stays CEO through 2027, 2028 and 2029 and the stock meets $50, $60 and $75 price hurdles, so shareholders bear dilution risk only if those price targets are reached.
Award of 880,000 PPSUs to CEO Matthew Bromberg approved August 17, 2026, under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan
Three tranches of about one-third each, with stock price hurdles of $50.00, $60.00 and $75.00 on the NYSE (30 consecutive days VWAP)
Continued service required through August 17, 2027, 2028 and 2029; performance period runs to August 17, 2031
Unvested units are forfeited on most terminations, with exceptions for termination without Cause, death or disability, and change in control
Sera Prognostics appointed Scott Gleason as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer effective August 31, 2026, replacing Austin Aerts, who steps down from the role on the same date. Aerts will move to an advisory role and a consulting agreement, and Gleason receives a $400,000 base salary and a $500,000 initial equity award, subject to Board approval.
Scott Gleason, 47, becomes CFO and Treasurer effective August 31, 2026, after the board appointment on August 14, 2026.
Gleason's employment agreement sets a $400,000 base salary and a target bonus of 40% of base salary, pro-rated for 2026.
Austin Aerts receives nine months of base salary continuation totaling $354,921.75 and a consulting role at $375 per hour, for a term of twelve months from September 8, 2026.
Gleason's agreement provides twelve months of base salary and target bonus in a lump sum, plus full equity acceleration, if terminated without Cause within three months before or twelve months after a Change in Control.
On August 17, 2026, Nocera entered an employment agreement naming Shun-Chih Chuang Chief Financial Officer for an initial two-year term, with an annual salary of $84,000 and 100,000 company shares per year. The same day, the company signed a two-year consulting agreement with Chien-Hua Tseng for AI module strategy, with share grants that add to the company's common stock.
Shun-Chih Chuang becomes Chief Financial Officer under an employment agreement effective August 17, 2026, with an initial two-year term and an annual salary of $84,000 paid monthly.
The first 100,000 shares were issued to Chuang on execution; a second 100,000 shares are due at the start of the second year. The shares are unregistered and subject to transfer restrictions.
Chien-Hua Tseng's consulting agreement runs through August 16, 2028; 50,000 shares were issued on August 17, 2026, and 50,000 more are issuable on August 17, 2027 only if services continue.
Neuraxis disclosed equity compensation actions taken in July and August 2026. A stock option exchange approved by stockholders on June 10, 2026 took effect July 24, swapping 1,319,394 options for an equal number of restricted stock units, and on August 13 the company granted new RSUs to four executives and one-time share awards to independent directors. The filing says the director awards address compensation that was below market levels, which adds to shareholder dilution.
Stock option exchange of 1,319,394 options into RSUs took effect July 24, 2026, vesting immediately for executives Brian Carrico, Adrian Miranda and Thomas Carrico.
On August 13, 2026, the company granted RSUs to Brian Carrico (193,329), Timothy Henrichs (141,479), Adrian Miranda (133,341) and Thomas Carrico (135,906), vesting in three equal annual installments.
On August 13, 2026, independent directors received a total of 127,120 shares of common stock as one-time awards for prior board service.
Laird Superfood's board appointed Matthew Spanjers as a director effective August 13, 2026, and placed him on the compensation committee. He is deemed a designee of the Investor affiliated with Nexus Capital Management under a December 21, 2025 Investment Agreement, which gives the investor group a role in his appointment.
Matthew Spanjers appointed director effective August 13, 2026, serving until the next annual meeting
Appointed to the board's compensation committee
Deemed a designee of the Investor (Gateway Superfood affiliates of Nexus Capital Management) under the December 21, 2025 Investment Agreement
Will receive non-employee director cash compensation and option grants on the same terms as other 2026 non-employee director grants
AVAX One Technology's Chief Financial Officer, Chris Polimeni, resigned effective August 17, 2026, and will stay on as a financial consultant through December 31, 2026. The company said there was no disagreement with him over operations, policies or practices. Stephanie Brady, previously Corporate Controller, was appointed Chief Accounting Officer and primary financial officer on August 19, 2026, so shareholders will see a change in the executive overseeing financial reporting while the company is also searching for a permanent CEO.
Chris Polimeni resigned as CFO effective August 17, 2026, and will remain as a financial consultant through December 31, 2026
Stephanie Brady, age 57, was appointed Chief Accounting Officer and primary financial officer on August 19, 2026; she had been Corporate Controller since January 2026
Brady will receive a total payment of $20,000 per month plus incentive compensation tied to timely filing of financial statements
Interim CEO Peter Wylie Jr. will support the finance organization; the Board's search for a permanent CEO continues with ZRG Partners
MSC Industrial Direct disclosed that board member Louise Goeser notified the company on August 13, 2026, that she will not stand for re-election at the 2027 annual meeting of shareholders. The company said the decision is part of her retirement planning and not the result of any disagreement over operations, policies or practices.
Louise Goeser notified the company on August 13, 2026 of her decision.
She will not stand for re-election at the 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
The company states the decision is part of retirement planning, with no disagreements over operations, policies or practices.
Filing signed August 19, 2026 by Greg Clark, Vice President and Interim Chief Financial Officer.
Ameresco director David J. Corrsin resigned from the board and retired as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, both effective August 17, 2026. He will continue as the Company's Special Legal Advisor, and the filing states the resignation was not due to any disagreement with the Company.
David J. Corrsin, 68, resigned as a Class II director effective August 17, 2026
He also retired as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, effective August 17, 2026
Corrsin will continue to serve as Special Legal Advisor
Corrsin had served as a director since the Company's formation in 2000
Zhak Cohen, a director nominated by GPC Partners Investments (SPV III) LP, resigned from the board of Bowhead Specialty Holdings effective August 17, 2026. The company says he left in connection with his departure from Gallatin Point Capital LLC, which manages the GPC Fund, and that the resignation involved no disagreement on the company's operations, policies or practices.
Resignation effective August 17, 2026, under the Board Nominee Agreement dated May 23, 2024 between the company and GPC Fund
Resignation tied to Cohen's departure from Gallatin Point Capital LLC earlier this summer
Filing states no disagreement with the company on operations, policies or practices
8-K signed August 19, 2026 by H. Matthew Crusey, General Counsel and Secretary
Granite Ridge Resources appointed John Cocke and Jonathan Adams to its board, expanding it from seven to nine directors, after Grey Rock affiliates distributed 14,000,000 shares to their limited partners. Because Grey Rock and its affiliates now hold about 39% of the stock, the company is no longer a controlled company under NYSE rules, and the board says it is now majority independent.
Grey Rock affiliates distributed 14,000,000 shares of common stock to limited partners on August 19, 2026, and now own about 39% of outstanding shares.
The company ceased to be a controlled company under NYSE rules and expects to complete its governance transition within NYSE phase-in periods.
John Cocke (Class II, term to 2027 annual meeting) and Jonathan Adams (Class III, term to 2028 annual meeting) joined the board effective August 19, 2026.
Each new director received 19,305 common shares and 5,315 restricted shares, with the restricted shares vesting in full on January 2, 2027. The company received no proceeds from the distribution.
AMD appointed Tim Ryan, Head of Technology and Business Enablement at Citi, to its board of directors effective August 19, 2026, replacing retiring director Joe Householder. The filing also reports committee changes, including KC McClure becoming chair of the Audit and Finance Committee; the filing reports no financial results or guidance.
Joe Householder, a director since 2014, retires from the board effective August 19, 2026, not due to any disagreement with the company.
Tim Ryan was appointed to the board on August 19, 2026 and is deemed independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules.
KC McClure succeeds Householder as chair of the Audit and Finance Committee; Nora Denzel joins that committee and McClure joins the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Ryan is a certified public accountant who spent more than three decades at PwC, serving as U.S. Chair and Senior Partner from 2016 to 2024.
Ameresco said its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, Mark Chiplock, will resign effective September 25, 2026, to take a CFO role at a private equity-owned company in a different industry. The company said the departure was not the result of any disagreement on its operations, policies or practices, and it has started a search for a successor. The company also reiterated its full-year 2026 guidance, which matters to shareholders because it gives no sign of a change in the outlook alongside the leadership change.
Mark A. Chiplock resigned as EVP, CFO and Chief Accounting Officer; the company received notice on August 17, 2026, and the resignation is effective September 25, 2026.
Chiplock will remain CFO through September 25, 2026, to support an orderly transition.
Full-year 2026 guidance reiterated: revenue of $2.0 billion to $2.2 billion, Adjusted EBITDA of $250 million to $270 million, and Non-GAAP EPS of $1.15 to $1.35.
The company has begun a search for its next Chief Financial Officer.
Oceanhawk Acquisition Corp. appointed Jimmy D. Ford, age 71, to its board on August 17, 2026, increasing the board from six to seven directors. Ford has more than 45 years of oil and gas industry experience, and the sponsor agreed to transfer 50,000 founder shares to him at their original purchase price.
Ford was appointed as a Class III director by Class B shareholders on August 17, 2026, with a term expiring at the 2029 annual meeting.
Ford joined the audit, compensation, and nominating and corporate governance committees; Daniel Collingridge-Padbury and Michael Maggard were removed from the audit and compensation committees, respectively.
The Board established a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee on August 17, 2026, with Joseph Durnford as chairman and Jonathan Nickell and Ford as members.
Oceanhawk Acquisition I Sponsor LLC agreed to indirectly transfer 50,000 founder shares to Ford at their original purchase price.
Envista's board named President and CEO Paul Keel as Chair of the Board, effective August 19, 2026, succeeding Scott Huennekens, who becomes Lead Independent Director. The Compensation Committee also approved a $200,000 base salary increase for Keel and a one-time equity award valued at $10 million, plus a $1.5 million PSU award for CFO Eric Hammes, tied to four-year relative total stockholder return.
Paul Keel, President and CEO since joining in May 2024, becomes Chair of the Board effective August 19, 2026
Keel's base salary rises $200,000, from $1.1 million to $1.3 million per year, effective August 24, 2026
Keel's one-time equity award totals $10 million: $5 million in time-based RSUs and $5 million in PSUs at target
CFO Eric Hammes received a special PSU award valued at $1.5 million, granted August 18, 2026
NACCO Industries said its Board of Directors appointed Patrick J. Burns as an independent director effective August 19, 2026, increasing the board from 11 to 12 members. The filing says Burns will join the standard compensation program for non-employee directors described in the company's 2026 proxy statement.
Appointment effective August 19, 2026; board size increased from 11 to 12 members
Burns was CEO of Precision Fabrics Group, Inc. from 2022 to July 2026, and CEO of AGY Holdings Corp. from 2014 to 2022
Board determined Burns is independent under NYSE listing standards and SEC rules
Burns will receive standard non-employee director compensation, as described in the proxy statement filed March 31, 2026
Honeywell announced leadership changes effective October 1, 2026: Billal Hammoud, currently CEO of Building Automation, will lead Process Technology, and Juan Picon will succeed him at Building Automation. Ken West, current CEO of Process Technology, will leave the company on August 31, 2026, to pursue an external opportunity. The filing contains no financial results or guidance, so the changes are management reshuffles rather than a direct measure of performance.
Billal Hammoud, age 54, to become President and CEO of Process Technology effective October 1, 2026
Juan Picon, age 57, to succeed Hammoud as President and CEO of Building Automation effective October 1, 2026
Ken West, age 49, current Process Technology CEO, departs August 31, 2026
Baxter International appointed John Rogers, formerly CFO of Smith+Nephew, as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective October 1, 2026. Anita Zielinski, interim CFO and chief accounting officer, departs September 15, 2026, and CEO Andrew Hider will serve as interim CFO until Rogers starts. The company also reiterated its full-year 2026 outlook from its July 30, 2026 earnings announcement.
Rogers base salary is $925,000, with a target annual bonus of 100% of base salary and a $4,000,000 target annual equity grant value starting with the 2027 grant.
Rogers receives a $2,827,629 sign-on bonus, subject to repayment if he leaves within 12 months of his start date, or 50% if he leaves within 12 to 24 months.
Andrew Hider serves as interim CFO from September 15, 2026 until October 1, 2026, with no additional compensation for that role.
Bernie Heine was named interim chief accounting officer and controller effective September 15, 2026, with a $15,000 monthly payment and a $250,000 grant-date value equity award.
United Community Banks, Inc. said Tom Speir will succeed Jefferson L. Harralson as Chief Financial Officer effective September 8, 2026. Harralson will remain employed through December 31, 2026 to support an orderly transition, and the filing sets out Speir's pay package.
Tom Speir, age 44, most recently served as Head of Investor Relations, Strategy and Corporate Development at Regions Financial Corp.
Base salary of $600,000, annual target bonus of 80% of base salary, and sign-on bonus of $215,000
Sign-on equity grant valued at $450,000, vesting 50% per year over 2 years
Jefferson L. Harralson remains employed through December 31, 2026 to support the transition
Core Natural Resources said its board appointed Nathan Tucker as senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective immediately, succeeding Mitesh Thakkar in that role. Thakkar remains president and takes on day-to-day responsibility for operations, marketing, logistics, and long-term strategy. The filing describes the changes as part of the company's long-term succession process and discloses Tucker's new pay terms, but it includes no financial results.
Board appointed Nathan Tucker as SVP and CFO on August 18, 2026, effective immediately
Tucker's annual base salary increased to $400,000, with target short-term incentive at 65% and long-term incentive at 125% of base salary
Mitesh Thakkar continues as president, with day-to-day responsibility for operations, marketing, logistics, and long-term strategy
Tucker has been Core's vice president of finance since the company's formation in January 2025
On August 17, 2026, MediciNova signed new executive employment agreements with CEO Yuichi Iwaki and Chief Medical Officer Kazuko Matsuda, replacing their prior employment and severance arrangements. The agreements set base salaries, bonus targets and enhanced change-in-control severance, which matters to shareholders because it defines potential future costs tied to these executives.
Dr. Iwaki's base salary is $690,246 with a target bonus of 55% of salary; Dr. Matsuda's base salary is $540,143 with a target bonus of 40%.
Following a change in control, Dr. Iwaki would receive 24 months of base salary plus 24 months of target bonus; Dr. Matsuda would receive 18 months of each.
Without a change in control, involuntary termination pays 12 months of base salary for both executives.
The full agreements will be filed with the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the AI's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.
Briefs marked “Written later” were written in November 2026 for filings that were by then more than three weeks old, so months before mid-October 2026 hold a selection: every material 8-K of the past year for the 100 largest companies we cover and the last 15 important 8-Ks of every other one. Briefs the number check holds back are not shown or counted. Also: the last 45 days, briefs by company, A–Z and the live SEC filings wire.