FactSet Insider Ellis Nets $3.4M in Same-Day Option Exercise & Sale
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS) – Form 4 insider transaction (filed 07/09/2025)
Executive Vice President of Initiatives & Partnerships, Christopher R. Ellis, reported a same-day option exercise and share sale executed on 07/08/2025:
- Option exercise (Code M): 7,606 employee stock options exercised at $152.28 (grant dated 11/01/2016).
- Open-market sales (Code S): The 7,606 shares acquired were immediately sold in five tranches between $441.99 and $448.20, generating proceeds of roughly $3.4 million (weighted average ≈ $446).
- Post-transaction holdings: Direct ownership declined from 31,564.6867 to 23,952.2207 common shares. An additional 450 shares are held indirectly by the spouse.
- A Form 5 correction removed 6.466 shares previously overstated.
The filing reflects a net disposition by a senior officer equal to ~24% of his pre-transaction direct stake. No other derivative positions remain from this specific option grant.
While the transaction monetises vested options and realises a sizable gain (exercise price vs. sale price spread ≈ $294 per share), it does not, by itself, signal changes in company fundamentals. Investors often monitor aggregated insider selling trends for sentiment and potential alignment concerns.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: EVP exercised 7,606 options and sold all shares (~$3.4 m), trimming direct stake by ~24%; modestly negative sentiment signal, limited fundamental impact.
The exercise-and-sell pattern is typical tax-efficient behaviour after a multi-year vesting schedule. The large spread between the $152.28 strike and ~$446 sale price realises substantial personal gains. However, because the executive fully liquidated the exercised shares rather than retaining any, the market may perceive a mild bearish sentiment. The remaining ~24k directly held shares suggest continued exposure, but proportionally smaller. Transaction size is immaterial relative to FDS’s >$17 bn market cap, so valuation impact should be minimal.
TL;DR: One-day option cash-out; notable but not alarming insider sale requiring routine monitoring.
Governance focus rests on pattern consistency and disclosure quality. Ellis filed promptly, included weighted-average price footnotes, and corrected prior share count, indicating procedural compliance. No Rule 10b5-1 plan box is checked, implying discretionary timing. Stakeholders should watch for cumulative sales across the C-suite; isolated events of this scale rarely affect voting or control dynamics.