Director April Rand Scott receives restricted stock grant at Ares Commercial (NYSE: ACRE)

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp director April Rand Scott reported a new equity award and updated holdings. She received a grant of 18,879 shares of common stock as restricted stock with no cash paid per share, described as a grant or award acquisition. These restricted shares are scheduled to vest ratably on a quarterly basis over one year, on the first business day of each fiscal quarter beginning July 1, 2026. After this grant, she holds 18,879 shares directly and 99,248 shares indirectly through the April Family 2013 Living Trust, where she serves as trustee. A footnote adds that her direct holdings include 24,696 shares previously owned directly, indicating this filing reflects compensation-related equity rather than open-market trading.

Insights

Equity compensation analyst

Director received routine restricted stock compensation, not a market trade.

The filing shows April Rand Scott, a director of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp, acquiring 18,879 shares of common stock as a restricted stock grant. The price per share is listed as $0.0000, consistent with compensation awards rather than a purchase in the open market.

The award vests quarterly over one year starting on July 1, 2026, creating a short vesting schedule that aligns the director’s incentives with near-term company performance. The filing also reports 99,248 shares held indirectly via the April Family 2013 Living Trust, where she is trustee, plus previously held direct shares, indicating a meaningful ongoing equity stake.

Because the transaction is a standard equity incentive grant, not a discretionary buy or sell, it typically carries limited signaling value about the director’s view of the stock. Its main implication is continued alignment between board compensation and shareholder interests through stock-based awards.

Insider Trade Summary

2 transactions reported

Mixed 2 txns

Insider April Rand Scott

Role null

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock	18,879	$0.00	--
holding	Common Stock	--	--	--

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 18,879 shares (Direct, null); Common Stock — 99,248 shares (Indirect, By April Family 2013 Living Trust)

Footnotes (1)

1. Represents a grant of restricted stock pursuant to Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation's Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. The shares of restricted stock are scheduled to vest ratably on a quarterly basis over a one-year period on the first business day of each fiscal quarter beginning July 1, 2026. Includes 24,696 shares previously owned directly on the reporting person's prior Form 4. The common stock is held by April Family 2013 Living Trust, of which the reporting person is a trustee.

Key Figures

Restricted stock grant: 18,879 shares Grant price: $0.0000 per share Indirect holdings via trust: 99,248 shares +2 more

5 metrics

Restricted stock grant 18,879 shares Common Stock award at $0.0000 per share

Grant price $0.0000 per share Restricted stock compensation grant

Indirect holdings via trust 99,248 shares Held by April Family 2013 Living Trust

Previously owned direct shares 24,696 shares Direct holdings noted from prior Form 4

Vesting start date July 1, 2026 Quarterly vesting over one year

Key Terms

restricted stock, Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, vest ratably, Living Trust

4 terms

restricted stock financial

"Represents a grant of restricted stock pursuant to Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation's Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan."

Shares granted to an individual that carry limits on transfer or sale until certain conditions are met, such as staying with the company for a set time or hitting performance targets. Think of them as a locked gift that gradually opens; for investors they matter because they affect how many shares may enter the market later, signal management incentives and potential dilution, and reveal confidence in future company performance.

Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan financial

"Represents a grant of restricted stock pursuant to Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation's Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan."

vest ratably financial

"The shares of restricted stock are scheduled to vest ratably on a quarterly basis over a one-year period."

Living Trust financial

"The common stock is held by April Family 2013 Living Trust, of which the reporting person is a trustee."

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

April Rand Scott

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O ARES COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CORP.

245 PARK AVENUE, 42ND FLOOR

(Street)

NEW YORK NEW YORK 10167

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp [ ACRE ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/29/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	04/29/2026		A		18,879(1)	A	$0	18,879	D
Common Stock								99,248(2)	I	By April Family 2013 Living Trust(3)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents a grant of restricted stock pursuant to Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation's Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. The shares of restricted stock are scheduled to vest ratably on a quarterly basis over a one-year period on the first business day of each fiscal quarter beginning July 1, 2026.

2. Includes 24,696 shares previously owned directly on the reporting person's prior Form 4.

3. The common stock is held by April Family 2013 Living Trust, of which the reporting person is a trustee.

Remarks:

	/s/ Anton Feingold, by power of attorney	05/01/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What insider transaction did April Rand Scott report for Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp (ACRE)?

April Rand Scott reported receiving 18,879 shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp common stock as a restricted stock grant. The award was recorded at a price of $0.0000 per share, indicating compensation, not a market purchase, and increases her direct equity stake in the company.

How do the new restricted stock units for ACRE’s director vest?

The 18,879 restricted shares granted to ACRE director April Rand Scott vest ratably on a quarterly basis over one year. Vesting occurs on the first business day of each fiscal quarter, beginning July 1, 2026, linking her compensation to company performance across that year.

How many ACRE shares does April Rand Scott hold indirectly through a trust?

The filing shows 99,248 Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp shares held indirectly by the April Family 2013 Living Trust. The footnotes state April Rand Scott is a trustee of this trust, so these trust-held shares represent an additional indirect equity interest associated with her position.

Did April Rand Scott buy or sell ACRE shares on the open market in this Form 4?

The Form 4 reflects a grant of 18,879 restricted shares at $0.0000 per share, categorized as a grant or award acquisition. It does not report any open-market purchases or sales, indicating the activity is compensation-related rather than trading-driven.

What is the significance of the 24,696 previously owned ACRE shares mentioned in the footnote?

A footnote explains that 24,696 ACRE shares were previously owned directly and reported on an earlier Form 4. This note clarifies that the current filing adds the new 18,879-share restricted grant on top of an existing direct position, rather than replacing earlier holdings.