[Form 4] TILLY'S, INC. Insider Trading Activity
TILLY'S, INC. (TLYS) Form 4 shows insider awards to Nathan Michael Smith, the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. On 09/08/2025 Mr. Smith was granted two stock option awards, each covering 900,000 shares of Class A common stock with an exercise price of $1.99 and a ten-year term expiring on 09/08/2035. One award vests over four years beginning 09/08/2026 with 25% at the first anniversary and monthly vesting thereafter; the other is a performance-based option that vests only if performance and service conditions are met, with the maximum quantity reported and service vesting satisfied on 08/18/2026 if earned. Both grants are reported as direct beneficial ownership. The filing is signed by an attorney-in-fact on 09/17/2025.
- Alignment of interests: A performance-based option ties CEO pay to company performance, potentially aligning incentives with shareholders.
- Retention focus: The four-year time-based vesting schedule encourages continued service through staggered vesting.
- Potential dilution: Two options of 900,000 shares each could represent material dilution if fully exercised.
- Lack of disclosed performance metrics: The Form 4 reports the maximum performance-based amount but does not disclose the specific performance targets or thresholds.
Insights
TL;DR: CEO received two large option grants totaling potential 1.8M shares, mixing time- and performance-based vesting.
The awards—two options of 900,000 shares each at a $1.99 strike expiring in 2035—represent significant executive compensation. The time-based tranche vests over four years, which ties retention to the company. The performance-based tranche requires share-price or other performance targets, aligning pay with outcomes but with uncertain realizable value. Reported as direct ownership, these grants could increase potential dilution if fully exercised, but vesting and performance conditions limit immediate share count impact.
TL;DR: Large CEO option awards raise governance questions on dilution and performance conditions.
The structure—one service-vesting award and one performance-vesting award—follows common governance practices to balance retention and pay-for-performance. The performance award’s maximum amount is reported, but actual earn‑out depends on meeting performance metrics over the option life. Important governance considerations include the rationale for grant size relative to peer practice and shareholder-approved equity pools; the filing does not include those comparisons or the specific performance targets, limiting assessment of proportionality and alignment.