John Farahi, the chief executive officer of Monarch Casino & Resort Inc, reported two insider sales totaling 3,000 shares of common stock in a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The transactions took place on March 10 and March 16, 2026.
On March 10, Farahi sold 1,000 shares at $97.43 per share. A subsequent sale on March 16 involved 2,000 shares at $99.00 per share. Together, the two transactions generated $295,430 in gross proceeds.
At the time of the filing, Monarch's stock was trading at $99.91, which the filing notes is close to the company’s 52-week high of $113.88. Over the last 12 months the shares have returned 24%.
Despite the sale, Farahi retains a sizable position in Monarch. The filing shows direct ownership of 536,304 shares and indirect ownership of 2,521,415 shares held through trusts.
The Form 4 also discloses that Farahi is the beneficiary of options to acquire 6,666,660 shares of Monarch common stock. Those optioned shares carry exercise prices that span from $23.08 up to $95.70, and the options have expiration dates that fall between 2026 and 2035.
Recent company performance and analyst view
Monarch reported fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA that exceeded analyst expectations by 6%. The performance was highlighted in a research note by Stifel, which left its rating at Hold and maintained a $97.00 price target on the stock.
Stifel’s note called out strong growth at Monarch’s Atlantis property, attributing that improvement to recent room renovation activity. The research further noted that the Monarch Black Hawk location continued to widen its market share, contributing to the quarter’s positive momentum.
Stifel’s choice to keep a Hold rating, as stated in the note, signals a cautious but steady view of the shares despite the quarter’s outperformance.
Context and limits of the filing
The Form 4 documents the transactions and the holdings but does not provide a rationale for the sales. It also records the range of option exercise prices and the timeline for expirations, without additional detail on likely exercise timing or potential impacts on future share count.