Clear Secure Chief Accounting Officer Sells 6,059 Shares
Key Points
The insider disposed of 6,059 shares at a weighted average price of $43.49 per share, totaling ~$263,500.
Transaction volume included 3,955 shares withheld for tax obligations and 2,104 shares sold under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
The executive's total direct position increased to 15,870 shares following the underlying restricted stock unit vesting event.
Dennis W. Liu, Chief Accounting Officer of Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU), disposed of 6,059 shares of Class A Common Stock between September 1, 2026, and September 3, 2026, as disclosed in a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Transaction value | ~$263,500 |
| Shares sold | 6,059 |
| Post-transaction shares (directly held) | 15,870 |
| Post-transaction value | $707,643.30 |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($43.49); post-transaction value based on September 3, 2026 market close ($44.59).
Key questions
- What portions of the disposal were non-discretionary?
A total of 3,955 shares were withheld by the company to satisfy tax obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units. This transaction was non-discretionary and does not reflect the insider's view on the stock's future performance. - How did the Rule 10b5-1 plan affect the remaining sale?
The sale of 2,104 shares was executed automatically under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on May 14, 2026. This pre-scheduled activity suggests the trade was part of routine portfolio management and was not a discretionary reaction to current market conditions. - What is the status of the insider's remaining equity interest?
The insider's direct holdings increased to 15,870 shares following the vesting event, representing a market value of ~$707,000 as of the September 3, 2026 market close. The executive also continues to hold 10,969 direct derivative securities. - What was the stock performance context leading up to this filing?
Clear Secure shares recorded a 26% return over the 12-month period ending on the September 3, 2026 transaction date. The insider's disposal occurred as the stock was priced at $44.03 as of the September 2, 2026 market close.
Company Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Share Price (as of market close 2026-09-11) | $42.23 |
| Market Capitalization | $4.3 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $1.0 billion |
| Net Income (TTM) | $220.4 million |
Company Snapshot
- Clear Secure operates a secure identity-verification platform with CLEAR Plus, a subscription service for air travelers that provides expedited airport security access and a network of complementary services.
- The company generates revenue through subscription-based membership fees from its CLEAR Plus service, which streamlines identity enrollment, verification, and linking processes for enhanced security and convenience.
- The primary customer base consists of frequent air travelers seeking faster airport security experiences, with expansion opportunities across additional identity-verification use cases and service verticals.
Clear Secure is a leading identity-verification platform serving the U.S. market with approximately 3,301 employees and a market capitalization of $4.4 billion.
The company has demonstrated strong financial performance with TTM revenue of $1.0 billion and net income of $147.9 million, reflecting a net profit margin of approximately 14.8%.
Clear Secure's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary multi-layered identity verification system and established member base, positioning the company to capitalize on growing demand for frictionless identity authentication across travel and beyond.
What this transaction means for investors
This sale shouldn't concern investors. Part of the sale was to satisfy tax obligations. The rest of the shares sold were executed under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which is commonly used by insiders to make pre-planned sales that don't reflect a view on the company's fundamentals. The insider still retains a direct stake of 15,870 shares after the sales.
Importantly, the business continues to deliver profitable growth. TTM revenue grew nearly 20% year over year, with the operating margin expanding over four percentage points to 25.1%.
The stock could be a good buy on the pullback. Analysts still expect earnings to grow at a high 58% annualized rate in the coming years, with the shares trading at a reasonable 18.7x forward P/E.
John Ballard has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Clear Secure. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.