Essential Utilities (WTRG) Form 3: Bradley J. Palmer discloses equity awards

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) Form 3 — Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (filed 08/08/2025)

Bradley J. Palmer, identified as the Issuer's Chief Accounting Officer, filed a Form 3 reporting only derivative securities: 1,338 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and 1,626 Non-Qualified Stock Options. No non-derivative common stock is reported on Table I. The RSUs represent awards from grants dated 02/22/2023 (217 RSUs, vest 02/22/2026), 01/24/2024 (332 RSUs, vest 01/24/2027), and 02/05/2025 (789 RSUs, vest annually beginning 02/05/2026). The options have an exercise price of $35.33, an expiration date of 02/05/2035, and per the filing they vest in three equal installments beginning 02/05/2026 and are described as exercisable immediately upon grant. The Form 3 event date is 08/01/2025 and the filing signature date is 08/08/2025.

Insights

Securities Analyst

TL;DR Reporting officer discloses standard equity awards (RSUs and options) with multi‑year vesting; no direct common stock reported.

The filing shows Bradley J. Palmer holds 1,338 RSUs and 1,626 non‑qualified options in Essential Utilities, Inc. The RSU grants are dated 02/22/2023, 01/24/2024, and 02/05/2025 with specified vesting anniversaries. The options carry a $35.33 exercise price and an expiration of 02/05/2035. Table I lists no direct common stock holdings. From a market materiality perspective, the disclosed award sizes are small relative to large‑cap issuer market caps and routine for officer compensation; therefore the immediate market impact is limited.

Corporate Governance Expert

TL;DR Officer disclosure is consistent with standard SEC Section 16 reporting for equity compensation; schedules and grant details are provided.

The Form 3 identifies the reporting person as the Issuer's Chief Accounting Officer and documents the composition and vesting schedules of RSUs and options. The filing explicitly states vesting schedules for each RSU grant and for the options (three equal installments beginning 02/05/2026) and notes options are exercisable immediately upon grant per the filing text. The submission is a routine governance disclosure to satisfy insider reporting obligations and does not present governance red flags in the document itself.

Insider Trade Summary

2 transactions reported

Mixed 2 txns

Insider Palmer Bradley John

Role Chief Accounting Officer

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
holding	Restricted Stock Units	--	--	--
holding	Non-Qualified Stock Option	--	--	--

Holdings After Transaction: Restricted Stock Units — 1,338 shares (Direct); Non-Qualified Stock Option — 1,626 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

1. Each Restricted Stock Unit ("RSU") represents the right to acquire one share of Common Stock of Essential Utilities, Inc. (the "Issuer"). Represents (i) 217 RSUs granted on February 22, 2023, vesting on February 22, 2026, (ii)332 RSUs granted on January 24, 2024, vesting on January 24, 2027, (iii) 789 RSUs granted on February 5, 2025, vesting in three annual installments on the anniversary of the grant date beginning February 5, 2026. Non-Qualified Stock Options vest in three equal installments beginning February 5, 2026 and are exercisable immediately upon grant.

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SEC Form 3

FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

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

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Palmer Bradley John

(Last) (First) (Middle)

762 W. LANCASTER AVENUE

(Street)

BRYN MAWR PA 19010

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
08/01/2025

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Essential Utilities, Inc. [ WTRG ]

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

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chief Accounting Officer

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

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

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

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Restricted Stock Units	(1)	(2)	Common Stock	1,338	$0	D
Non-Qualified Stock Option	(3)	02/05/2035	Common Stock	1,626	$35.33	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Each Restricted Stock Unit ("RSU") represents the right to acquire one share of Common Stock of Essential Utilities, Inc. (the "Issuer").

2. Represents (i) 217 RSUs granted on February 22, 2023, vesting on February 22, 2026, (ii)332 RSUs granted on January 24, 2024, vesting on January 24, 2027, (iii) 789 RSUs granted on February 5, 2025, vesting in three annual installments on the anniversary of the grant date beginning February 5, 2026.

3. Non-Qualified Stock Options vest in three equal installments beginning February 5, 2026 and are exercisable immediately upon grant.

	Bradley J. Palmer	08/08/2025
	** 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 5 (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).
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FAQ

What did Bradley J. Palmer report on the Form 3 for Essential Utilities (WTRG)?

He reported ownership of 1,338 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and 1,626 Non‑Qualified Stock Options in Essential Utilities, Inc.

When was the Form 3 filed and what is the event date?

The Form is signed on 08/08/2025 and the Date of Event requiring the statement is 08/01/2025.

What are the key terms of the reported stock options for WTRG?

The options have an exercise price of $35.33 and an expiration date of 02/05/2035; the filing states they vest in three equal installments beginning 02/05/2026.

What RSU grants and vesting schedules are disclosed on the Form 3?

RSUs disclosed: 217 RSUs (granted 02/22/2023, vest 02/22/2026); 332 RSUs (granted 01/24/2024, vest 01/24/2027); 789 RSUs (granted 02/05/2025, vest in three annual installments beginning 02/05/2026).

Does the Form 3 report any direct holdings of common stock?

No. Table I (Non‑Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned) shows no reported direct common stock holdings in this filing.