Essential Utilities CAO awarded 246 shares

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Essential Utilities, Inc. reported that Chief Accounting Officer Bradley John Palmer received a grant of 246 shares of common stock on February 22, 2026, upon the earning and vesting of performance-based share units awarded on February 22, 2023, representing 63.58% vesting as determined by the Compensation Committee on February 4, 2026. On the same date, 158 shares were transferred to the issuer at $38.7800 per share to satisfy tax obligations related to the vesting of restricted stock units and performance-based share units, and he now directly holds 2,270 shares of common stock.

Insider Trade Summary

2 transactions reported

Mixed 2 txns

Insider Palmer Bradley John

Role Chief Accounting Officer

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock	246	$0.00	$0.00
Exercise Price or Tax Liability	Common Stock	158	$38.78	$6K

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 2,270 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (2)

1. F1. Represents acquisition of shares upon the earning and vesting of performance-based share units awarded on 2/22/2023. Vesting determination was made by the Compensation Committee on 02/04/2026. Represents vesting at 63.58%.
2. F2. Disposition to issuer for tax obligations upon the vesting of restricted stock units and performance-based share units.

Key Figures

Stock grant: 246.0000 shares Tax-withheld shares: 158.0000 shares Tax-withholding price: 38.7800 per share +4 more

7 metrics

Stock grant 246.0000 shares Common stock acquired on 2026-02-22 via grant/award acquisition

Tax-withheld shares 158.0000 shares Shares delivered to issuer on 2026-02-22 to cover tax obligations

Tax-withholding price 38.7800 per share Reference price for disposition to issuer for tax obligations

Vesting percentage 63.58% Represents vesting of performance-based share units awarded on 2/22/2023

Post-transaction holdings 2,270 shares Direct common stock ownership after reported transactions

Award date of PSUs 02/22/2023 Date performance-based share units underlying the vesting were awarded

Vesting determination date 02/04/2026 Date Compensation Committee determined vesting outcome

Key Terms

performance-based share units, restricted stock units, tax-withholding disposition, Compensation Committee

4 terms

performance-based share units financial

"Represents acquisition of shares upon the earning and vesting of performance-based share units"

Performance-based share units are a type of long-term pay award that entitles employees to receive company stock or cash only if the business meets predetermined financial or operational goals over a set period. For investors they matter because these awards align employee incentives with company performance—like tying a coach’s bonus to wins—so they can affect future share count, signal management’s confidence in targets, and influence reported compensation expense and shareholder value.

restricted stock units financial

"Disposition to issuer for tax obligations upon the vesting of restricted stock units"

Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.

tax-withholding disposition financial

"Payment of exercise price or tax liability by delivering securities"

A tax-withholding disposition is an event or transaction—such as selling or transferring securities, exercising options, or receiving compensation—that triggers a requirement to hold back part of the payment and remit it to tax authorities. It matters to investors because it reduces the cash they receive immediately and can change the timing and amount of taxable income, like a cashier taking a portion of your sale proceeds to pay taxes before you get the rest.

Compensation Committee financial

"Vesting determination was made by the Compensation Committee on 02/04/2026"

A compensation committee is a group within a company's leadership responsible for setting and reviewing how much top executives and employees are paid, including salaries, bonuses, and benefits. It matters to investors because fair and effective pay decisions can influence a company's performance, leadership motivation, and overall governance, helping ensure that the company’s management is aligned with shareholders’ interests.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What insider transaction did Essential Utilities (WTRG) report for its CAO?

Essential Utilities’ Chief Accounting Officer received a 246-share stock grant on February 22, 2026. This came from vesting performance-based share units originally awarded on February 22, 2023, after the Compensation Committee’s February 4, 2026 determination.

How many Essential Utilities (WTRG) shares were withheld for taxes in this Form 4?

A total of 158 shares of Essential Utilities common stock were transferred to the issuer for tax obligations. The disposition occurred on February 22, 2026, at a reference price of $38.7800 per share tied to the vesting event.

What is the post-transaction shareholding of the CAO at Essential Utilities (WTRG)?

After these transactions, the Chief Accounting Officer directly holds 2,270 shares of Essential Utilities common stock. This figure reflects his reported direct ownership following the award and related tax-withholding disposition.

What vesting percentage applied to the CAO’s performance-based share units at Essential Utilities (WTRG)?

The performance-based share units vested at 63.58%. These units were originally awarded on February 22, 2023, with the vesting outcome determined by the Compensation Committee on February 4, 2026.

What price per share was used for the tax-withholding disposition in the Essential Utilities (WTRG) filing?

The tax-withholding disposition used a reference price of $38.7800 per share. At this price, 158 shares were delivered to the issuer to cover tax obligations tied to restricted stock and performance-based share vesting.

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

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 02/24/2026 - 05:23 PM Learn about SEC filing dates

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^*

Palmer Bradley John

(Last) (First) (Middle)

762 W. LANCASTER AVENUE

(Street)

BRYN MAWR PA 19010

(City) (State) (Zip)

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

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

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

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/22/2026

4. 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 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	02/22/2026		A		246(1)	A	$0	2,428	D
Common Stock	02/22/2026		F		158(2)	D	$38.78	2,270	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

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents acquisition of shares upon the earning and vesting of performance-based share units awarded on 2/22/2023. Vesting determination was made by the Compensation Committee on 02/04/2026. Represents vesting at 63.58%.

2. Disposition to issuer for tax obligations upon the vesting of restricted stock units and performance-based share units.

	Kimberly A. Joyce, attorney-in-fact for Mr. Palmer	02/24/2026
	** 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.
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