Acme United (ACU) CEO exercises 30,000 options and is granted 25,000 more

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

ACME UNITED CORP director, Chairman and CEO Walter C. Johnsen reported several equity compensation transactions on 2026-07-29. He exercised 30,000 Employee Stock Options at $23.99 per share, receiving 30,000 shares of common stock, with 20,361 shares withheld to satisfy exercise price and/or tax obligations via net share settlement. He also received a grant of 25,000 new Employee Stock Options with an exercise price of $59.90 per share, exercisable beginning 2030-07-31 and expiring 2036-07-31.

Insider Trade Summary

Net Buyer: 9,639 shares

Net Buy 4 txns

Insider JOHNSEN WALTER C

Role Chairman and CEO

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Exercise	Employee Stock Option	30,000	$23.99	$720K
Grant/Award	Employee Stock Option	25,000	$59.90	$1.50M
Exercise	Common Stock	30,000	$23.99	$720K
Exercise Price or Tax Liability	Common Stock F1	20,361	$59.90	$1.22M

Holdings After Transaction: Employee Stock Option — 732,000 shares (Direct); Common Stock — 324,638 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 Option exercise price: $23.9900 per share New options granted: 25,000 shares +2 more

5 metrics

Options exercised 30,000 shares Employee Stock Options exercised at $23.9900 per share on 2026-07-29

Option exercise price $23.9900 per share Exercise price for 30,000 Employee Stock Options exercisable 2019-01-24 and expiring 2027-01-24

New options granted 25,000 shares Employee Stock Options granted at $59.9000 per share on 2026-07-29

New option exercise/expiration 2030-07-31 / 2036-07-31 New options exercisable beginning 2030-07-31 and expiring 2036-07-31

Shares withheld for obligations 20,361 shares Common shares withheld at $59.9000 per share via net share settlement on 2026-07-29

Key Terms

Employee Stock Option, net share settlement, derivative security

3 terms

Employee Stock Option financial

"Security title reported as "Employee Stock Option" for derivative transactions."

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.

net share settlement financial

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

Net share settlement is a way of paying for financial transactions using only the difference in shares rather than exchanging full amounts of stock or cash. It’s like settling a debt by giving someone the exact number of shares needed to balance the books, making trades quicker and simpler. This method helps reduce the number of shares changing hands, saving time and costs.

derivative security financial

"Transaction code description notes an exercise or conversion of derivative security."

A derivative security is a financial contract whose value comes from the price or performance of something else, such as a stock, bond, commodity, or market index. For investors it acts like an insurance policy or a wager: it can be used to protect against losses, lock in prices, or amplify gains and losses, so it can change a portfolio’s risk and potential return without owning the underlying asset directly.

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

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Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

Available on EDGAR 07/31/2026 - 04:30 PM Accepted by SEC EDGAR 07/31/2026 - 04:30 PM Learn about SEC filing dates

FAQ

What insider transactions did ACU’s CEO Walter C. Johnsen report on July 29, 2026?

Walter C. Johnsen reported exercising 30,000 stock options, acquiring 30,000 common shares, having 20,361 shares withheld to cover obligations via net share settlement, and receiving a grant of 25,000 new Employee Stock Options with a $59.90 exercise price.

How many Acme United (ACU) stock options did Walter C. Johnsen exercise and at what price?

He exercised 30,000 Employee Stock Options at an exercise price of $23.99 per share. The options, originally exercisable from 2019-01-24 and expiring 2027-01-24, converted into 30,000 shares of common stock in this reported transaction.

What new stock option grant did Acme United (ACU) award to its CEO in this Form 4?

Walter C. Johnsen received a grant of 25,000 Employee Stock Options with an exercise price of $59.90 per share. These options are reported as exercisable beginning 2030-07-31 and expiring on 2036-07-31, providing long-dated equity compensation.

Why were 20,361 Acme United (ACU) shares disposed of in Walter C. Johnsen’s Form 4?

The Form 4 shows 20,361 common shares disposed of at $59.90 per share under code F, meaning they were withheld to pay the exercise price and/or tax liabilities in a net share settlement related to the option exercise, not sold in a market trade.

Did Walter C. Johnsen sell any Acme United (ACU) shares on the open market in this filing?

The reported transactions include an option exercise (code M), a new option grant (code A), and shares withheld (code F) for obligations, with no sale transaction coded “S”. The dispositions are tied to the exercise and settlement mechanics, not open-market sales.

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)
07/29/2026

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	07/29/2026	07/29/2026	M		30,000	A	$23.99	344,999	D
Common Stock	07/29/2026	07/29/2026	F		20,361(1)	D	$59.9	324,638	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	07/29/2026	07/29/2026	M			30,000	01/24/2019	01/24/2027	Common Stock	30,000	$23.99	353,500	D
Employee Stock Option	$59.9	07/29/2026	07/29/2026	A		25,000		07/31/2030	07/31/2036	Common Stock	25,000	$59.9	378,500	D

Explanation of Responses:

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

	/s/ Walter C. Johnsen	07/31/2026
	** 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)