when a restricted stock vests you can sell the shares you ve received it s important to consider your risk tolerance asset allocation and investing goals to decide on the best time to sell your restricted stock just as you would with any other security in your portfolio since that is what it s now become 
the bottom lineemployers use restricted stocks to provide an incentive to employees to remain in their jobs and to work to better the company s stock price by giving them shares in the business the vesting of restricted stock can be based on basic timelines or performance based goals making them highly flexible the recipients of restricted stock should take steps to ensure they understand how their restricted stock is taxed and consider how long they plan to hold the stock once it vests 