Eastern Co. (EML) affiliated fund purchases 2,000 common shares

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Eastern Co. insider group associated with James A. Mitarotonda reported an open-market purchase of 2,000 Common Shares at $20.1087 per share on March 18, 2026. The shares were acquired indirectly through Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P., which now holds 644,342 Common Shares after the transaction.

Mitarotonda is a director and ten percent owner, and he also reports a separate direct holding of 44,511 Common Shares. The footnotes state that each reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of their 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 NEW YORK 10019

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

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)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/18/2026

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

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

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

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	03/18/2026		P		2,000	A	$20.1087	644,342	I	by Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P.(1)(2)
Common Shares								44,511	D

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

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

MITAROTONDA JAMES A

(Last) (First) (Middle)

888 SEVENTH AVENUE 6TH FL

(Street)

NEW YORK NEW YORK 10019

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer

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

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

BARINGTON COMPANIES EQUITY PARTNERS L P

(Last) (First) (Middle)

888 SEVENTH AVENUE 6TH FL

(Street)

NEW YORK NEW YORK 10019

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer

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

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

BARINGTON COMPANIES MANAGEMENT, LLC

(Last) (First) (Middle)

888 SEVENTH AVENUE 6TH FL

(Street)

NEW YORK NEW YORK 10019

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer

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

Explanation of Responses:

1. James A. Mitarotonda 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. Barington Companies Management, LLC is the investment adviser to Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P.

2. Each of the reporting persons 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 each of the reporting persons is the beneficial owner of these shares for the purposes of Section 16 or any other purpose.

	/s/James A. Mitarotonda	03/20/2026
	/s/ Barington Companies Equity Partners LP	03/20/2026
	/s/ Barington Companies Management, LLC	03/20/2026
	** 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).
** 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.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What insider transaction did Eastern Co. (EML) report on March 18, 2026?

Eastern Co. reported an open-market purchase of 2,000 Common Shares at $20.1087 per share on March 18, 2026. The transaction was executed indirectly through Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P., an entity associated with director and ten percent owner James A. Mitarotonda.

Who effectively bought the Eastern Co. (EML) shares in this Form 4 filing?

The 2,000 Eastern Co. shares were purchased by Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P. in an open-market transaction. This partnership is part of an affiliated ownership chain connected to director and ten percent owner James A. Mitarotonda, as detailed in the filing’s ownership footnotes.

At what price were the new Eastern Co. (EML) shares acquired?

The 2,000 Eastern Co. Common Shares were acquired at an average price of $20.1087 per share. This reflects an open-market purchase, meaning the shares were bought on the market rather than granted as compensation or acquired through option exercises or conversions.

How many Eastern Co. (EML) shares does the affiliated fund hold after the trade?

After the 2,000-share purchase, Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P. is reported to hold 644,342 Eastern Co. Common Shares. This figure reflects the indirect position associated with James A. Mitarotonda through the described ownership chain of entities in the footnotes.

What are James A. Mitarotonda’s reported direct holdings in Eastern Co. (EML)?

The filing shows James A. Mitarotonda directly holding 44,511 Eastern Co. Common Shares. This direct position is in addition to the larger indirect stake reported through Barington Companies Equity Partners L.P. and related entities described in the ownership structure footnotes.

Does the Eastern Co. (EML) Form 4 claim full beneficial ownership for the reporting persons?

No. The Form 4 explicitly states each reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities, except to the extent of their pecuniary interest. The language clarifies that the filing should not be viewed as an admission of beneficial ownership for Section 16 or other purposes.