Mark David Denny Form 4 Vital Energy / Mark David Denny ownership change

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

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

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Denny Mark David

(Last) (First) (Middle)

521 E. 2ND STREET, SUITE 1000

(Street)

TULSA OK 74120

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Vital Energy, Inc. [ VTLE ]

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

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
EVP, Gen. Counsel & Secretary

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/20/2024

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

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

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

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	02/20/2024		A		17,305(1)	A	$43.34	34,201	D

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
Performance Units	(2)	02/20/2024		A		17,305		02/20/2027	(2)	Common Stock	17,305	$0	17,305	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. These restricted shares are granted under the Issuer's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan and will vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary date of the grant.

2. These performance units are granted under the Issuer's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. Each performance unit represents a share of common stock. The performance units will be payable, if at all, in common stock, cash, or a combination of common stock and cash, to be determined in the discretion of the Issuer's Compensation Committee, based upon (i) the Issuer's total shareholder return measured against an industry peer group on an absolute share return basis, (ii) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and exploration expense divided by three-year total debt reduction, (iii) growth in inventory and (iv) emissions reduction, over a three-year performance period ending December 31, 2026. The final number of shares of common stock or cash earned is dependent on the performance of the stock price and the factors identified herein with the performance unit multiple having a range from 0% to 225%.

Remarks:

	/s/ Mark D. Denny	02/22/2024
	** 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).
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