Luning Christopher Paul 4

What Happened

• Christopher Luning, EVP and General Counsel of Essential Utilities (WTRG), had two reported acquisitions on 2026-01-23: a grant of 15,258 derivative shares (stock option grant) at a $39.19 strike, reported value $597,961, and 6,351 shares acquired through the company 401(k) plan (reported at $0 in the filing). Both transactions are acquisitions (awards/purchases), not sales.

Key Details

• Transaction date: 2026-01-23. Filing date (Form 4): 2026-01-27 (timely).
• Option grant: 15,258 derivative shares, $39.19 (exercise/strike price), total reported value $597,961; vesting: one-third each year on the anniversary of the grant (see F4/F1).
• 401(k) shares: 6,351 shares acquired under the company 401(k) plan since the last filing (reported at $0 in this Form 4; see F3).
• Footnotes in the filing:
  • F1: Restricted stock units (RSUs) vest one-third each year on the anniversary (each RSU = right to one share).
  • F2: Includes RSU shares not included in item 7 of the 2025 Form 4.
  • F3: Shares acquired under the Company's 401(k) plan since the last filing.
  • F4: Grant of 15,258 stock options which vest one-third each year on the anniversary.
• Shares owned after the transactions: not specified in the provided excerpt of the filing.

Context

• The 15,258-share item is a grant of options/derivative awards that vest over time; it is not an immediate sale or exercise. Until vested and exercised, these options do not represent transferable shares or immediate cash.
• The 6,351 shares acquired via the 401(k) are payroll/plan purchases and are routine employee plan activity, not a market purchase or sale.
• These are acquisitions/awards (not dispositions), so they do not indicate insider selling.