Eastern (NASDAQ:EML) Director Charles Henry Acquires 989 Shares of Stock

Eastern Company (The) (NASDAQ:EML) Director Charles Henry acquired 989 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $20.93 per share, with a total value of $20,699.77. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 79,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,657,530.42. The trade was a 1.26% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Eastern Stock Performance

Eastern stock opened at $20.13 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.59, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $121.59 million, a P/E ratio of 17.21 and a beta of 0.97. Eastern Company has a 1-year low of $17.61 and a 1-year high of $26.82. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $18.67 and a 200-day moving average of $20.40.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Eastern by 82.9% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,273 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 577 shares in the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Eastern by 0.4% during the third quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 165,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,871,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Eastern by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 18,455 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Eastern by 0.3% in 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. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Eastern by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 9,002 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $177,000 after purchasing an additional 886 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on EML. Wall Street Zen raised 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, Based on data from MarketBeat, Eastern presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Key Eastern News

Here are the key news stories impacting Eastern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Michael J. Mardy bought 1,099 shares at ~$20.93, increasing his stake ~6.5%; suggests insider confidence. SEC Filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director Peggy Scott bought 1,064 shares at ~$20.93 (~$22.3k), raising her ownership ~4.4%. SEC Filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director John Everets acquired 1,339 shares at ~$20.93 (~$28.0k), a ~1% position increase and a meaningful holding size. SEC Filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director Chan Galbato purchased 962 shares at ~$20.93 (a 42% increase in his position), signaling strong insider buying trends. SEC Filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director James A. Mitarotonda acquired 1,717 shares at ~$20.93, boosting his holding ~4.0%. SEC Filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director Charles W. Henry bought 989 shares at ~$20.93, a modest increase to his sizable stake. SEC Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Crude oil and gasoline rallied amid Middle East supply disruptions; higher energy costs could raise input/transportation expenses for industrial manufacturers like Eastern, an uncertain near-term effect. Barchart Article
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Q4 results (released Mar 3) showed EPS of $0.31 vs. consensus $0.36 and slim net margins (~2.9%), a reminder that operational performance and margin pressure remain risks for the stock. MarketBeat — EML

About Eastern

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.