Topalian Leon J 4

What Happened
Leon J. Topalian, Chairman and CEO of Nucor Corporation, exercised 52,000 employee stock options on May 15, 2026 at $42.46 per share (total cost reported $2,207,920) and, on the same day, disposed of 52,000 shares via open-market sales in multiple trades for aggregate proceeds of roughly $11.84 million. The filing also shows a 52,000-share derivative disposition reported at $0.00 (see footnote F6), consistent with option exercise/tax-related share withholding or a cashless exercise settlement.

Key Details

• Transaction date: May 15, 2026; Form 4 filed May 19, 2026 (within the typical 2-business-day reporting window).
• Options exercised: 52,000 shares at $42.46 each = $2,207,920 (footnote F6: employee stock option).
• Open-market sales (all on May 15, 2026):
  • 16,239 shares at weighted avg $226.84 = $3,683,721 (prices ranged $226.190–$227.180) (F1)
  • 21,954 shares at weighted avg $227.58 = $4,996,269 (prices ranged $227.190–$228.150) (F2)
  • 9,366 shares at weighted avg $228.63 = $2,141,383 (prices ranged $228.210–$229.120) (F3)
  • 4,441 shares at weighted avg $229.32 = $1,018,405 (prices ranged $229.290–$229.358) (F4)
  • Total shares sold: 52,000; total gross proceeds ≈ $11,839,778.
• Derivative entry: 52,000 shares reported disposed at $0.00 (see F6); often indicates shares withheld or net settlement related to option exercise.
• Shares owned after the transactions: not specified in the filing. Footnote F5 notes a $308,247.58 balance in the Nucor Stock Fund of the Nucor Profit Sharing Plan (shares calculated by plan administrator).

Context
This pattern — exercising options and selling an equal number of shares the same day — is commonly a cashless exercise or a routine step to cover exercise costs and tax withholding rather than a pure directional bet on the stock. The weighted-average sale prices are provided with ranges in the footnotes; the reporting person offers to provide per-price breakdowns on request. No indication in the filing that these trades were part of a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan or a gift; the filing notes the transactions relate to employee stock options.