Eastern Co (EML) director granted 1,717 shares as equity fees

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Eastern Co director James A. Mitarotonda reported receiving 1,717 Common Shares of Eastern Co on March 16, 2026. According to the footnotes, these shares were issued under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program pursuant to Rule 16b-3(d), using a share price of $20.93 set on March 13, 2026, so this represents equity compensation rather than an open‑market purchase. Following this issuance, his direct holdings increased to 44,511 Common Shares.

The filing also shows an indirect holding of 642,342 Common Shares reported as held by Barington Companies Equity Partners, L.P., an entity in which Mitarotonda is connected through several affiliated partnerships and corporations. He disclaims beneficial ownership of these indirectly held shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

MITAROTONDA JAMES A

(Last) (First) (Middle)

888 SEVENTH AVENUE 6TH FL

(Street)

NEW YORK NY 10019

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
EASTERN CO [ EML ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	X	10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/16/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Shares(1)	03/16/2026		P		1,717	A	$20.93	44,511	D
Common Shares								642,342	I	By Barington Companies Equity Partners, L.P.(2)(3)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. 1717 Shares issued under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program pursuant to rule 16b-3(d). The price used to determine the number of shares is the price of the shares on March 13, 2026.

2. The reporting person is the sole stockholder and director of LNA Capital Corp. LNA Capital Corp. is the general partner of Barington Capital Group, L.P., which is the majority member of Barington Companies Investors, LLC ("Barington Investors"). Barington Investors is the general partner of Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P.

3. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities, except to the extent of the pecuniary interests therein, and this report shall not be deemed to be an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of these shares for the purposes of Section 16 or any other purpose.

	/s/James A. Mitarotonda	03/17/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
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FAQ

What insider transaction did Eastern Co (EML) report for James A. Mitarotonda?

Eastern Co reported that director James A. Mitarotonda received 1,717 Common Shares on March 16, 2026. The shares were issued as equity compensation under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program, rather than purchased in the open market.

At what price were James A. Mitarotonda’s new Eastern Co (EML) shares valued?

The 1,717 Common Shares issued to James A. Mitarotonda were valued at $20.93 per share. The price was based on Eastern Co’s share price on March 13, 2026, to determine how many shares he received as director fees.

How many Eastern Co (EML) shares does James A. Mitarotonda now hold directly?

After receiving 1,717 Common Shares as director fee compensation, James A. Mitarotonda holds 44,511 Eastern Co shares directly. This figure reflects only his direct ownership and excludes shares reported as indirectly owned through investment entities.

What indirect Eastern Co (EML) holdings are reported for James A. Mitarotonda?

The filing reports 642,342 Eastern Co Common Shares held indirectly through Barington Companies Equity Partners, L.P. This entity is linked to Mitarotonda via several affiliated partnerships and corporations described in the footnotes to the insider report.

Does James A. Mitarotonda claim full beneficial ownership of all reported Eastern Co (EML) shares?

No. He disclaims beneficial ownership of the indirectly held 642,342 shares, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest. The filing states that the report should not be deemed an admission of beneficial ownership for Section 16 or any other purpose.

Was James A. Mitarotonda’s Eastern Co (EML) share increase a market purchase?

The increase came from an equity award, not a market purchase. Footnotes explain that 1,717 shares were issued under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program pursuant to Rule 16b-3(d), compensating him in stock based on the March 13, 2026 share price.