James Mitarotonda Purchases 2,342 Shares of Eastern (NASDAQ:EML) Stock

Eastern Company (The) (NASDAQ:EML) Director James Mitarotonda acquired 2,342 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $18.74 per share, for a total transaction of $43,889.08. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 642,342 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,037,489.08. This trade represents a 0.37% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Eastern Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of EML stock traded up $0.10 on Tuesday, reaching $19.15. 26,718 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,932. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 3.59 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The company has a 50-day moving average of $18.56 and a 200-day moving average of $20.55. The company has a market cap of $115.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.37 and a beta of 0.97. Eastern Company has a one year low of $17.61 and a one year high of $28.04.

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

Eastern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.11 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Eastern’s payout ratio is currently 37.61%.

More 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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Eastern to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Eastern in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eastern

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Barington Companies Management LLC boosted its holdings in Eastern by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Barington Companies Management LLC now owns 634,933 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,502,000 after acquiring an additional 4,833 shares during the last quarter. Minerva Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Eastern by 1.0% during the third quarter. Minerva Advisors LLC now owns 530,053 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $12,435,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its holdings in Eastern by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 515,545 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,151,000 after purchasing an additional 3,827 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Eastern by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 388,292 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,645,000 after purchasing an additional 1,571 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in 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 in the last quarter. 76.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.