James Mitarotonda Acquires 5,067 Shares of Eastern (NASDAQ:EML) Stock

Eastern Company (The) (NASDAQ:EML) Director James Mitarotonda purchased 5,067 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of $18.29 per share, with a total value of $92,675.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 640,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,705,600. The trade was a 0.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Eastern Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of EML traded up $0.10 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $19.15. The stock had a trading volume of 26,718 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,932. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $18.56 and its 200 day moving average is $20.55. The firm has a market cap of $115.67 million, a PE ratio of 16.37 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 3.59 and a quick ratio of 1.55. Eastern Company has a 1 year low of $17.61 and a 1 year high of $28.04.

Eastern (NASDAQ:EML) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $248.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.68 million. Eastern had a net margin of 2.90% and a return on equity of 6.52%.

Eastern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Eastern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.61%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eastern

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Barington Companies Management LLC increased its holdings in Eastern by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Barington Companies Management LLC now owns 634,933 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $12,502,000 after buying an additional 4,833 shares during the period. Minerva Advisors LLC boosted its position in Eastern by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Minerva Advisors LLC now owns 530,053 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $12,435,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its holdings in shares of Eastern by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 515,545 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $10,151,000 after acquiring an additional 3,827 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Eastern by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 388,292 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,645,000 after acquiring an additional 1,571 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Eastern by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 257,126 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,032,000 after purchasing an additional 775 shares during the last quarter. 76.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on EML. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Eastern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Eastern in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Key Eastern News

Here are the key news stories impacting Eastern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director insider buy — Eastern director Frederick Disanto purchased 1,000 shares at about $18.39 on March 6, increasing his stake and signaling management confidence. This insider purchase is often viewed as a positive signal by investors. Insider Buy Report
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend support — Eastern announced a quarterly dividend of $0.11 (annualized $0.44, ~2.3% yield), showing cash return to shareholders and supporting investor income thesis. (Reported in market filings and coverage.)
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership/inflows — Recent filings show several institutional increases and new positions (e.g., Teton, Minerva), keeping ~77% of shares held by institutions, which can reduce volatility and provide a stable shareholder base. MarketBeat Institutional Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Asset sale / third‑party acquisition of “Eastern Valve & Control Specialties” reported — Distribution Solutions Group announced an acquisition of Eastern Valve & Control Specialties Ltd.; impact on Eastern Co.’s revenue mix depends on whether this unit was a core division or separate entity. Acquisition Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro commodity/headline risk — Large crude oil price swings and geopolitical events (Middle East tensions, Strait of Hormuz disruptions) are elevating market volatility; these moves can affect transportation demand and input costs but are not specific to Eastern. Crude Oil News
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader news items — Coverage includes regional defense/infrastructure stories and comparative writeups (e.g., Poland market, MOB vs EML); these are background and unlikely to drive EML-specific fundamentals near-term. NATO Pipelines
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 earnings miss and weak end-market demand — Eastern reported Q4 EPS of $0.31, missing consensus (~$0.36) with revenue and volumes pressured by weak truck and automotive markets; this is the primary near-term fundamental headwind to the stock. Earnings Coverage

Eastern Company Profile

Eastern (NASDAQ:EML), based in West Haven, Connecticut, is a diversified industrial manufacturer specializing in secure hardware and metal finishing services. The company operates through two primary segments: Industrial Hardware Products and Security Products, complemented by a Metal Coatings division. Its Industrial Hardware Products segment produces cold-headed fasteners, forgings, hinges and precision components for heavy commercial vehicles, hydraulic cylinders and industrial machinery.

The Security Products segment designs and manufactures a wide range of lock and latch solutions, including padlocks, door hardware, cabinet locks and rental security towers for commercial and institutional applications.