ACME United CEO exercises options, covers tax in shares

ACME UNITED CORP director and CEO Walter C. Johnsen exercised stock options and had shares withheld for taxes.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

ACME UNITED CORP director and CEO Walter C. Johnsen exercised stock options and had shares withheld for taxes. He exercised 30,000 Employee Stock Options at $23.99 per share, converting them into Common Stock in a routine compensation-related move.

To cover tax obligations, 24,166 Common Stock shares were disposed of at $40.53 per share through a tax-withholding transaction, not an open-market sale. After these transactions, Johnsen directly owns 320,833 Common Stock shares.

Insights

Equity compensation analyst

Routine option exercise with tax withholding; minimal directional signal.

Chairman and CEO Walter C. Johnsen exercised 30,000 Employee Stock Options at $23.99 per share and settled part of the resulting tax via 24,166 shares valued at $40.53. This is a standard compensation event rather than open-market trading.

The filing shows a net increase in directly held Common Stock to 320,833 shares. With no remaining derivative positions visible and no open-market buys or sells, the transactions look like normal equity compensation management rather than a change in management’s view of ACME UNITED CORP.

Insider Trade Summary

30,000 shares exercised/converted

Exercise 3 txns

Insider JOHNSEN WALTER C

Role Chairman and CEO

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Exercise	Employee Stock Option	30,000	$23.99	$720K
Exercise	Common Stock	30,000	$23.99	$720K
Exercise Price or Tax Liability	Common Stock	24,166	$40.53	$979K

Holdings After Transaction: Employee Stock Option — 383,500 contracts (Direct); Common Stock — 320,833 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

1. F1. The exercise of the subject option was effected on a net share settlement basis.

Key Figures

Options exercised: 30,000 shares at $23.99 Shares withheld for tax: 24,166 shares at $40.53 Shares held after transaction: 320,833 shares +3 more

6 metrics

Options exercised 30,000 shares at $23.99 Employee Stock Option exercise on 2026-05-13

Shares withheld for tax 24,166 shares at $40.53 Tax-withholding disposition on 2026-05-13

Shares held after transaction 320,833 shares Direct Common Stock ownership following transactions

Option exercise price $23.99 per share Employee Stock Option on Common Stock

Option expiration date 2027-01-24 Employee Stock Option original expiration

Tax-withholding code F shares 24,166 shares Payment of exercise price or tax liability by delivering securities

Key Terms

Employee Stock Option, tax-withholding disposition, derivative exercise/conversion, Exercise or conversion of derivative security, +1 more

5 terms

Employee Stock Option financial

"security_title: "Employee Stock Option""

An employee stock option is a promise that lets a worker buy company shares later at a predetermined price, often after they stay for a certain period or meet performance goals — think of it like a coupon that locks in today's price for a future purchase. It matters to investors because options align employees’ incentives with company performance, can increase the number of shares outstanding (dilution) when exercised, and represent a compensation cost that affects reported profits and shareholder value.

tax-withholding disposition financial

"transaction_action: "tax-withholding disposition""

A tax-withholding disposition is an event or transaction—such as selling or transferring securities, exercising options, or receiving compensation—that triggers a requirement to hold back part of the payment and remit it to tax authorities. It matters to investors because it reduces the cash they receive immediately and can change the timing and amount of taxable income, like a cashier taking a portion of your sale proceeds to pay taxes before you get the rest.

derivative exercise/conversion financial

"transaction_action: "derivative exercise/conversion""

Exercise or conversion of derivative security financial

"transaction_code_description: "Exercise or conversion of derivative security""

net share settlement basis financial

"footnote: "The exercise of the subject option was effected on a net share settlement basis.""

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What insider transaction did ACME UNITED CORP (ACU) report for Walter C. Johnsen?

ACME UNITED CORP reported that Chairman and CEO Walter C. Johnsen exercised 30,000 Employee Stock Options and had 24,166 Common Stock shares withheld to cover taxes. These transactions are compensation-related and do not represent open-market purchases or sales of ACU shares.

How many ACME UNITED CORP (ACU) options did Walter C. Johnsen exercise and at what price?

Walter C. Johnsen exercised 30,000 Employee Stock Options related to ACME UNITED CORP at an exercise price of $23.99 per share. This converted derivative securities into Common Stock as part of his equity compensation, rather than through an open-market purchase.

Were ACME UNITED CORP (ACU) shares sold on the market in this Form 4 filing?

No open-market sales occurred. Instead, 24,166 ACME UNITED CORP Common Stock shares were disposed of at $40.53 per share to satisfy tax obligations. This tax-withholding disposition is classified under transaction code F, not as a discretionary market sale.

What is Walter C. Johnsen’s ACME UNITED CORP (ACU) Common Stock holding after these transactions?

Following the reported option exercise and tax-withholding disposition, Walter C. Johnsen directly owns 320,833 shares of ACME UNITED CORP Common Stock. This figure reflects his updated non-derivative shareholding after converting options and settling part of the related tax liability in shares.

What does the net share settlement basis mean in ACME UNITED CORP’s (ACU) Form 4?

The filing notes the option exercise was done on a net share settlement basis, meaning some shares from the exercised options were withheld instead of paying cash for taxes or exercise costs. This approach streamlines equity compensation without requiring additional cash outlay from the insider.

Did Walter C. Johnsen retain any ACME UNITED CORP (ACU) derivative securities after this Form 4?

The derivative section shows the 30,000 Employee Stock Options with a $23.99 exercise price and a 2027-01-24 expiration were exercised. No remaining derivative positions appear in the derivative summary, indicating this particular option grant was fully exercised in the reported transactions.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 05/15/2026 - 05:00 PM Learn about SEC filing dates

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

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

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^*

JOHNSEN WALTER C

(Last) (First) (Middle)

1 WATERVIEW DRIVE

(Street)

SHELTON CONNECTICUT 06484

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
ACME UNITED CORP [ ACU ]

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

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

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/13/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

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)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	05/13/2026	05/13/2026	M		30,000	A	$23.99	344,999	D
Common Stock	05/13/2026	05/13/2026	F		24,166(1)	D	$40.53	320,833	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)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option	$23.99	05/13/2026	05/13/2026	M			30,000	01/24/2019	01/24/2027	Common Stock	30,000	$23.99	383,500	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. The exercise of the subject option was effected on a net share settlement basis.

	/s/ Walter C. Johnsen	05/15/2026
	** 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.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)