Insider Trading February 20, 2026

Fastly CEO Sells $226,417 in Stock to Cover RSU Taxes After Strong Quarterly Print

Compton Charles Lacey III disposed of 12,916 Class A shares as the company reports outsized Q4 results and receives mixed analyst reactions

By Priya Menon FSLY
Fastly CEO Sells $226,417 in Stock to Cover RSU Taxes After Strong Quarterly Print
FSLY

Fastly, Inc. Chief Executive Compton Charles Lacey III sold 12,916 shares of Class A common stock on February 18, 2026, in a transaction executed to satisfy tax obligations tied to vested restricted stock units. The disposition generated about $226,417 at a weighted average price between $17.36 and $17.53. The move follows a year in which the stock climbed 149% and comes on the heels of a fourth-quarter performance that outstripped expectations, prompting several analyst price-target revisions and one upgrade.

Key Points

  • Fastly CEO Compton Charles Lacey III sold 12,916 Class A shares on February 18, 2026, at a weighted average price between $17.36 and $17.53, netting approximately $226,417.
  • The sale was executed to cover tax obligations related to the vesting of previously granted restricted stock units; after the transaction the CEO directly owns 599,316 shares.
  • Fastly posted a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter: $172.6 million in revenue (consensus $161.4 million), $21.2 million operating profit (consensus $10.2 million) and $0.12 EPS (consensus $0.06); analysts subsequently adjusted price targets and ratings.

Fastly, Inc. (NYSE: FSLY) confirmed in a recent SEC filing that Chief Executive Compton Charles Lacey III sold 12,916 shares of Class A common stock on February 18, 2026. The shares were sold at a weighted average price between $17.36 and $17.53, yielding roughly $226,417 from the transaction.

Following the sale, Lacey directly holds 599,316 shares of the company. Company filings state the sale was undertaken to satisfy tax liabilities that arose when previously granted restricted stock units vested.

The sale occurred against a backdrop of a sharp run in Fastly's share price - the stock has climbed 149% over the past year and was trading at $18.08 at the time the filing was reported. Independent valuation commentary contained in InvestingPro characterizes the stock as appearing overvalued relative to its Fair Value, even while some analysts are forecasting the company will return to profitability this year following recent losses.


Quarterly performance and analyst response

Fastly reported fourth-quarter results that materially exceeded consensus estimates. Revenue came in at $172.6 million, compared with the consensus estimate of $161.4 million, representing a 22% increase year over year. Operating profit for the quarter was reported at $21.2 million, and earnings per share were $0.12. Those figures were well above analyst expectations of $10.2 million in operating profit and $0.06 in EPS.

Following the results, several brokerages adjusted their outlooks. DA Davidson raised its price target to $13 while keeping a Neutral rating. RBC Capital lifted its target to $12 and cited what it sees as early indications of durable acceleration and continued margin execution. Piper Sandler increased its price target to $14, pointing to the company’s strong performance and market share gains. William Blair went a step further and upgraded Fastly’s rating to Outperform, highlighting the company’s potential tied to AI-driven traffic growth.

For investors seeking deeper analysis, InvestingPro notes the availability of complete Pro Research Reports covering Fastly and more than 1,400 other U.S. equities.


Context and considerations

The insider sale was disclosed as a tax-driven transaction related to RSU vesting, rather than an indicated change in executive ownership strategy. At the same time, external commentary points to a valuation gap between market price and InvestingPro’s Fair Value assessment, even as brokers revise their targets and one firm upgrades the stock.

These simultaneous developments - insider selling to meet tax obligations, a strong beat on quarterly results and mixed signals from valuation assessments and analyst price targets - collectively present a multifaceted picture for investors evaluating Fastly’s near-term prospects.

Risks

  • Valuation concern - InvestingPro indicates the stock appears overvalued relative to its Fair Value, posing a potential risk for investors in the technology and cloud infrastructure sectors.
  • Execution and sustainability uncertainty - Analyst commentary highlights early signs of acceleration and margin progress, but continued delivery is required to justify recent upgrades and higher price targets, impacting market and investor confidence.
  • Analyst divergence - Mixed adjustments to price targets and the range of ratings, from Neutral to Outperform, reflect differing views among brokerages and create uncertainty for equity and broader market participants assessing Fastly’s outlook.

More from Insider Trading

Clean Harbors Director Executes $204,802 Sale as Company Reports Strong Q4 and Pushes M&A Agenda Feb 21, 2026 Clean Harbors Executive Disposes Nearly $1.0M in Stock as Company Posts Strong Q4 Feb 21, 2026 Clean Harbors CFO Disposes $784K in Shares as Company Reports Strong Quarter and Pursues Acquisition Feb 21, 2026 Travelers Executive Vice President Records $1.74 Million Share Sale as Company Posts Strong Quarter Feb 21, 2026 Genasys Director Buys $50,404 of Stock; Company Reports Mixed Q1 Results Feb 21, 2026