Form 4: Cognex Director Sells Shares After Option Exercise
Insider Transaction Report
Cognex Director Robert Willett exercised stock options and immediately sold the resulting shares, as per a pre-arranged trading plan.
Summary
- Robert Willett, a Director of Cognex Corp (CGNX), reported transactions involving the company's common stock.
- On October 21, 2025, Mr. Willett exercised non-qualified stock options to acquire 6,704 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $38.39 per share.
- Immediately following the exercise on the same date, Mr. Willett sold all 6,704 acquired shares at a price of $49.5062 per share.
- These transactions were conducted pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by Mr. Willett.
- Following these transactions, Mr. Willett's direct beneficial ownership of Common Stock is 0 shares.
- Mr. Willett indirectly beneficially owns 15,804 shares through the Willett Parkhill Investment Trust, for which he is a trustee and beneficiary.
Sentiment
Score: 5
Explanation: The transaction is a pre-planned exercise and sale under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which is typically for personal financial management (e.g., diversification, liquidity) and not necessarily indicative of the insider's sentiment about the company's future prospects. Therefore, it is considered neutral.
Positives
- The Director realized a profit from the option exercise and subsequent sale, acquiring shares at $38.39 and selling them at $49.5062.
- The transactions were executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, indicating pre-planned activity rather than a reaction to recent events.
Negatives
- The Director's direct beneficial ownership of Common Stock decreased to 0 shares following the sale.
Risks
- This Form 4 filing primarily reports insider transactions and does not detail company-specific operational or financial risks.
Future Outlook
This Form 4 filing does not provide any forward-looking statements or guidance regarding the company's future performance or outlook.
Industry Context
This filing reports an individual insider transaction and does not provide information to analyze broader industry trends or competitive positioning.
Related Party Transactions
- The reporting person indirectly beneficially owns 15,804 shares through the Willett Parkhill Investment Trust, for which he is a trustee and beneficiary.
Stakeholder Impact
- Shareholders may perceive a reduction in direct insider ownership, though the pre-planned nature of the transaction under Rule 10b5-1 mitigates concerns about negative sentiment.
- The transaction has no direct impact on employees, customers, suppliers, or creditors.
Next Steps
- The reporting person continues to hold various non-qualified stock options and restricted stock units, which may be exercised or vest in the future according to their terms.
Key Dates
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 2010-08-02 | Date of Willett Parkhill Investment Trust |
| 2018-02-21 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/21/2027 |
| 2019-02-20 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/20/2028 |
| 2020-02-19 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/19/2029 |
| 2021-02-18 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/18/2030 |
| 2022-02-16 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/16/2031 |
| 2023-02-22 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/22/2032 |
| 2024-02-21 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/21/2033 |
| 2025-02-20 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/20/2034 |
| 2025-10-21 | Date of stock option exercise and subsequent sale of Common Stock |
| 2025-10-22 | Signature date of the reporting person |
| 2026-02-18 | Date exercisable for a Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) with an expiration date of 02/18/2035 and for a Restricted Stock Unit with an expiration date of 02/18/2028 |
Keywords
COGNEX, CGNX, Insider Trading, Form 4, Stock Options, Director, Share Sale, Beneficial Ownership, Rule 10b5-1
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