Eastern Co. (EML) Director Reports 1,438-Share Fee Issuance

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

James A. Mitarotonda, a director of Eastern Co. (EML), reported acquiring 1,438 common shares on 09/17/2025 at an implied price of $24.98 under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program pursuant to Rule 16b-3(d). Following the reported transaction, he directly beneficially owns 40,955 shares. He also reports indirect beneficial ownership of 630,100 shares through Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P., via a chain of entities described in the filing. The filing includes a customary disclaimer that he disclaims beneficial ownership except for pecuniary interests. The form is signed and dated 09/17/2025.

Positive

• Director compensation issued as shares under the company's Director's Fee Program, aligning pay with shareholder interests
• Disclosure of indirect ownership chain through Barington entities improves transparency about potential voting power and economic exposure
• Transaction reported promptly with signature and date, meeting Section 16 reporting requirements

Negative

• None.

Insights

Securities Analyst

TL;DR: Routine director compensation resulted in a small share acquisition; ownership disclosures clarify direct and indirect positions.

The reported acquisition of 1,438 shares at $24.98 appears to be a standard issuance under the company's director fee program rather than an open-market trade, which reduces signaling risk about insider timing. The analyst notes the combined disclosed positions: 40,955 shares direct and 630,100 shares indirect through affiliated investment entities. For investors, the filing provides transparency on the director's economic exposure but does not indicate a material change to control or a significant shift in insider sentiment.

Corporate Governance Expert

TL;DR: Filing meets Section 16 disclosure requirements and documents related-party ownership chains; disclaimer is standard.

The transaction is documented as occurring under Rule 16b-3(d), consistent with board compensation practices that permit issuance of shares to directors. The detailed explanation of indirect ownership through Barington-related entities and the explicit disclaimer align with typical governance disclosures to avoid conflation of personal versus entity holdings. There are no indications of unusual governance events or control transfers in this filing.

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

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

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

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

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
09/17/2025

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)	09/17/2025		A		1,438	A	$24.98	40,955	D
Common Shares								630,100	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. 1,438 shares acquired 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 on September 15, 2025.

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 Capital 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	09/17/2025
	** 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).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

FAQ

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

He reported acquiring 1,438 common shares on 09/17/2025 under the Director's Fee Program at an implied price of $24.98.

How many shares does James A. Mitarotonda beneficially own after the Form 4 filing?

He directly beneficially owns 40,955 shares following the reported transaction and indirectly beneficially owns 630,100 shares via Barington-related entities.

Was the share issuance part of a standard program or an open-market purchase?

The filing states the shares were acquired under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program pursuant to Rule 16b-3(d), indicating a compensation issuance rather than an open-market purchase.

Does the filing indicate a change in control of Eastern Co. (EML)?

No. The filing reports compensation shares and discloses indirect holdings but does not state any transfer of control or material change in ownership.

Are there any disclaimers about beneficial ownership in the Form 4?

Yes. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of the indirectly held securities except to the extent of pecuniary interests, per the filing.