Insider Buying: Eastern (NASDAQ:EML) Director Purchases 5,067 Shares of Stock

Eastern Company (The) (NASDAQ:EML) Director James Mitarotonda purchased 5,067 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $18.29 per share, for a total transaction of $92,675.43. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 640,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,705,600. This trade represents a 0.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Eastern Price Performance

Shares of Eastern stock traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $19.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 26,718 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,932. The company 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 quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 3.59. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $18.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.55. Eastern Company has a 12-month low of $17.61 and a 12-month high of $28.04.

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

Eastern Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Eastern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Eastern in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Eastern has an average rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Trading of Eastern

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EML. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eastern in the 2nd quarter worth $326,000. Teton Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Eastern in the third quarter worth about $3,293,000. Minerva Advisors LLC increased its stake in Eastern by 3.8% during the second quarter. Minerva Advisors LLC now owns 525,053 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $11,982,000 after acquiring an additional 19,066 shares during the last quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP increased its stake in Eastern by 14.7% during the second quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 46,922 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,072,000 after acquiring an additional 6,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management raised its position in Eastern by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 28,086 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $553,000 after purchasing an additional 4,683 shares during the period. 76.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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

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.