ACME UNITED (ACU) CFO Paul Driscoll Exercises Options, Nets Shares

What Happened
Paul G. Driscoll, Chief Financial Officer of ACME UNITED CORP (ACU), exercised 15,000 stock options on 2026-07-29. The options had a strike price of $24.92 (total cost $373,800) and the underlying shares were valued at $59.90 each (15,000 × $59.90 = $898,500 market value). As part of a net-share settlement, 10,300 of the acquired shares were withheld/sold to cover taxes (10,300 × $59.90 = $616,970), leaving a net of 4,700 shares retained (approx. $281,530 at $59.90). This is an option exercise with withholding to cover tax liability (routine), not an open-market sale for investment cashing-out.

Key Details

• Transaction date: 2026-07-29. Form filed 2026-07-31 (timely filing).
• Option exercise: 15,000 shares exercised at $24.92 ($373,800). (Code M)
• Gross market value of shares on exercise: 15,000 × $59.90 = $898,500. (reported as acquisition)
• Tax withholding/disposition: 10,300 shares withheld/sold at $59.90 = $616,970. (Code F)
• Net shares retained after settlement: 4,700 shares (approx. $281,530 at $59.90).
• Footnote: F1 — exercise was effected on a net share settlement basis (cashless/net exercise).
• Shares owned after transaction: Not included in the provided excerpt of the filing.

Context

• This was an option exercise with net-share settlement (a common practice where some shares are withheld or sold to cover taxes and/or exercise costs). It results in the insider increasing/maintaining ownership on a net basis rather than an open-market purchase.
• Tax-withholding disposals (code F) are routine and do not necessarily indicate a bearish signal.
• Transaction codes: M = option exercise/conversion, F = payment of exercise price/tax liability (withholding), A = grant/award reported for the acquired shares.