United Airlines CEO exercises options, sells shares
United Airlines Holdings CEO Scott Kirby exercised 159,321 stock options on July 21, 2026 at an exercise price of $58.69 per share, receiving the same number of common shares.
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
United Airlines Holdings CEO Scott Kirby exercised 159,321 stock options on July 21, 2026 at an exercise price of $58.69 per share, receiving the same number of common shares. He then sold 159,321 shares at a weighted average price of $118.045 per share, in multiple trades between $117.37 and $119.48, through a broker-assisted cashless exercise that funded the exercise price, broker fees, commissions, and withholding taxes. These options were granted on August 29, 2016, had fully vested by 2022, and this award was fully exercised before its August 29, 2026 expiration.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insider Trade Summary
Exercise and Sale: 159,321 shares ($9.46M approx. pre-tax spread)
Exercise and Sale
5 txns
Insider
KIRBY J SCOTT
Role
Chief Executive Officer
Sold
159,321 shs ($18.81M)
Approx. gross sale proceeds
$18.81M
Approx. exercise cost
$9.35M
Approx. pre-tax spread
$9.46M
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Stock Option (Right to Buy) F1 | 159,321 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Exercise | Common Stock F1 | 159,321 | $58.69 | $9.35M |
| Sale | Common Stock F2, F3 | 159,321 | $118.045 | $18.81M |
| holding | Common Stock F4 | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | Common Stock F5 | -- | -- | -- |
Holdings After Transaction:
Stock Option (Right to Buy) — 0 contracts (Direct);
Common Stock — 797,851 shares (Direct);
Common Stock — 13,000 shares (Indirect, See Footnote)
Footnotes (5)
- F1. Stock options were granted on August 29, 2016 in connection with Mr. Kirby joining the Issuer and vested in three installments of 53,107 options on each of August 29, 2020, August 29, 2021 and August 29, 2022 with an expiration date of August 29, 2026.
- F2. Proceeds from the sale were used to pay the exercise price of such portion of the stock option, pursuant to a broker-assisted cashless exercise, as well as applicable broker fees and commissions and withholding taxes.
- F3. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $117.37 to $119.48, inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to United Airlines Holdings, Inc., any security holder of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in this Form 4.
- F4. Represents shares held in a trust for the benefit of Mr. Kirby's children in which Mr. Kirby's brother serves as the trustee. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities, and the filing of this report is not an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of these securities for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.
- F5. Represents shares held in a trust for the benefit of Mr. Kirby's children and other relatives in which Mr. Kirby serves as the trustee. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, and the inclusion of these shares in this report is not an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of all the reported shares for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.
Key Figures
Options Exercised: 159,321 shares
Exercise Price: $58.69 per share
Weighted Average Sale Price: $118.045 per share
+4 more
7 metrics
Options Exercised
159,321 shares
Stock options exercised into common stock on July 21, 2026
Exercise Price
$58.69 per share
Exercise price of stock options granted August 29, 2016
Weighted Average Sale Price
$118.045 per share
Common stock sold in multiple trades on July 21, 2026
Sale Price Range
$117.37–$119.48 per share
Price range of multiple sale transactions for 159,321 shares
Option Grant Date
August 29, 2016
Grant of stock options exercised in this Form 4
Option Expiration Date
August 29, 2026
Expiration date of the stock option award fully exercised
Vesting Installments
53,107 options x 3
Vested on August 29 of 2020, 2021, and 2022
Key Terms
broker-assisted cashless exercise, weighted average price, withholding taxes, beneficial ownership, +1 more
5 terms
broker-assisted cashless exercise financial
"Proceeds from the sale were used to pay the exercise price... pursuant to a broker-assisted cashless exercise"
weighted average price financial
"The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price"
Weighted average price is the average price of a security where each trade or component is counted according to its size, so bigger trades pull the average more than smaller ones. Think of it like calculating the average cost of a grocery haul where items you bought more of have greater influence on the final per-item cost. Investors use it to understand the true average price paid or received, judge execution quality, and compare trading performance against market movement.
withholding taxes financial
"used to pay the exercise price... as well as applicable broker fees and commissions and withholding taxes"
Withholding taxes are amounts a payer or government takes out of payments — such as wages, interest, or dividends — before the recipient gets the money, functioning like a cashier keeping part of a bill to pay taxes on your behalf. For investors this matters because it reduces the cash they actually receive, affects net returns and yield calculations, and may require additional paperwork or treaty claims to recover or offset the withheld amount against final tax bills.
beneficial ownership regulatory
"the reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities"
Beneficial ownership means the person or entity that actually enjoys the benefits of owning shares or other assets — such as receiving dividends, voting rights, or price gains — even if the legal title is held in another name. For investors it matters because knowing who truly controls and profits from a company reveals who can influence decisions, exposes potential conflicts of interest or hidden concentration of power, and affects transparency and risk in the stock.
pecuniary interest financial
"disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein"
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What did United Airlines (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby report in this Form 4?
Scott Kirby reported exercising 159,321 stock options for United Airlines Holdings common stock at $58.69 per share and selling 159,321 shares at a $118.045 weighted average price through a broker-assisted cashless exercise on July 21, 2026.
How many United Airlines (UAL) options did Scott Kirby exercise and at what price?
Scott Kirby exercised 159,321 stock options for United Airlines Holdings common stock at an exercise price of $58.69 per share. These options were granted on August 29, 2016 and fully vested in three equal installments between 2020 and 2022.
Was Scott Kirby’s United Airlines (UAL) option exercise a cashless transaction?
Yes. The filing states the sale proceeds were used to pay the option exercise price, as well as broker fees, commissions, and withholding taxes, indicating a broker-assisted cashless exercise for the 159,321 stock options exercised on July 21, 2026.
What is the origin and vesting schedule of Scott Kirby’s United Airlines (UAL) options?
The options were granted on August 29, 2016 when Scott Kirby joined United Airlines Holdings. They vested in three installments of 53,107 options each on August 29, 2020, August 29, 2021, and August 29, 2022, with an expiration date of August 29, 2026.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
