SEC FORM 4

SEC FORM 4 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).

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^*

Willard Howard A.

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

555 17TH STREET, SUITE 3700

(Street)

DENVER

80202

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CIVITAS RESOURCES, INC. [ CIVI ]

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

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

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/30/2026

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)
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Common Stock	01/30/2026		D		50,317	D	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	0	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)
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)	Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)		10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Explanation of Responses:

1. Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 2, 2025 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among SM Energy Company ("SM Energy"), Cars Merger Sub, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of SM Energy ("Merger Sub"), and Civitas Resources, Inc. ("Civitas"), (i) Merger Sub was merged with and into Civitas, with Civitas surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of SM Energy (the "first merger" and the surviving entity, the "first surviving corporation"), and (ii) immediately following the first merger (the "Effective Time"), the first surviving corporation was merged with and into SM Energy, with SM Energy continuing as the surviving corporation and each share of Civitas' common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Civitas common stock"), was converted into the right to receive 1.45 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of SM Energy ("SM Energy common stock").

2. On January 29, 2026, the day prior to the Effective Time, the closing price of one share of SM Energy common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $18.87. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, each deferred stock unit of Civitas ("Civitas DSU Award") that was outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, pursuant to the Merger Agreement and the terms of the Civitas DSU Award, became fully vested and was assumed by SM Energy and converted into a time-based deferred stock unit award of SM Energy equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the number of shares of Civitas common stock subject to such Civitas DSU Award immediately prior to the Effective Time and (ii) 1.45, rounded up to the nearest whole number of shares and generally subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to such Civitas DSU Award immediately prior to the Effective Time.

	By: /s/ Adrian Milton, Attorney-in-Fact for Howard A. Willard	01/30/2026
	** 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.
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Director Willard Howard A. returned 50,317 shares to the company, closing all direct ownership in the company (SEC Form 4)