STOCK TITAN

Eastern Co (EML) director awarded 1,679 shares under fee program

Filing Impact
(Neutral)
Filing Sentiment
(Positive)
Form Type
4

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

MITAROTONDA JAMES A reported open-market purchase transactions in this Form 4 filing.

Eastern Co director James A. Mitarotonda received 1,679 common shares under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program, with the share count based on a $21.40 price on June 15, 2026. This brings his direct holdings to 46,190 common shares.

In addition, 650,000 common shares are held indirectly through Barington Companies Equity Partners, L.P. The filing explains a multi-entity structure linking this partnership to Mitarotonda and states that he disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest.

Positive

  • None.

Negative

  • None.
Insider MITAROTONDA JAMES A
Role null
Bought 1,679 shs ($36K)
Type Security Shares Price Value
Purchase Common Shares 1,679 $21.40 $36K
holding Common Shares -- -- --
Holdings After Transaction: Common Shares — 46,190 shares (Direct, null); Common Shares — 650,000 shares (Indirect, By Barington Companies Equity Partners, L.P.)
Footnotes (1)
  1. 1,679 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 June 15, 2026. 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. 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.
Shares issued as director fees 1,679 shares Issued under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program
Price used for fee share calculation $21.40 per share Price of Eastern Co shares on June 15, 2026
Direct holdings after transaction 46,190 shares Common shares directly held by James A. Mitarotonda
Indirectly held shares via partnership 650,000 shares Common shares held by Barington Companies Equity Partners, L.P.
Net buy shares in this filing 1,679 shares Net buy direction per transaction summary
Director's Fee Program financial
"1,679 Shares issued under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program pursuant to rule 16b-3(d)."
rule 16b-3(d) regulatory
"Shares issued under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program pursuant to rule 16b-3(d)."
Rule 16b-3(d) is a narrow SEC safe-harbor that shields company insiders (officers, directors and large shareholders) from liability for short‑swing profits when their buys or sells of company stock are made under a pre-established, written plan or contract that removes the insider’s ability to time trades. For investors, this matters because it permits predictable, automated insider transactions — like scheduled sales for diversification or payroll withholding — without triggering forced disgorgement, so such planned trades are treated differently from opportunistic insider trading.
pecuniary interests financial
"disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities, except to the extent of the pecuniary interests therein"
beneficial ownership regulatory
"shall not be deemed to be an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of these shares"
Beneficial ownership means the person or entity that actually enjoys the benefits of owning shares or other assets — such as receiving dividends, voting rights, or price gains — even if the legal title is held in another name. For investors it matters because knowing who truly controls and profits from a company reveals who can influence decisions, exposes potential conflicts of interest or hidden concentration of power, and affects transparency and risk in the stock.
general partner financial
"LNA Capital Corp. is the general partner of Barington Capital Group, L.P."
A general partner is the person or firm that runs an investment partnership and legally represents it — they make the day-to-day decisions, choose which assets to buy or sell, and are responsible for the partnership’s obligations. Investors care because the general partner’s judgment, risk-taking and fee and profit-sharing arrangements determine both the potential returns and the level of exposure to losses; think of the GP as the ship’s captain whose skill and honesty shape the voyage’s outcome.
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SEC Form 4
FORM 4UNITED 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).
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)
XDirectorX10% Owner
Officer (give title below)Other (specify below)
2a. Foreign Trading Symbol
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
06/16/2026
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
XForm filed by One Reporting Person
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)
CodeVAmount(A) or (D)Price
Common Shares(1)06/16/2026P1,679A$21.446,190D
Common Shares650,000IBy 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)
CodeV(A)(D)Date ExercisableExpiration DateTitleAmount or Number of Shares
Explanation of Responses:
1. 1,679 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 June 15, 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. Mitarotonda06/17/2026
** Signature of Reporting PersonDate
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 for James A. Mitarotonda?

Eastern Co reported that director James A. Mitarotonda received 1,679 common shares. These shares were issued as compensation under The Eastern Company Director's Fee Program, rather than an open-market purchase, and are treated as an acquisition of stock.

At what price were the 1,679 Eastern Co (EML) shares calculated for the director fee grant?

The 1,679 shares were calculated using a share price of $21.40. The filing states this price reflects Eastern Co’s share price on June 15, 2026, and was used solely to determine how many shares to issue under the director fee program.

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

After the reported grant, James A. Mitarotonda directly holds 46,190 common shares of Eastern Co. This total includes the 1,679 shares issued under the Director's Fee Program as reflected in the Form 4 filing transaction table.

What indirect Eastern Co (EML) holdings are associated with James A. Mitarotonda?

The filing shows 650,000 common shares held indirectly through Barington Companies Equity Partners, L.P. Footnotes describe a chain of entities connecting Mitarotonda to this partnership, while also stating that he disclaims beneficial ownership beyond his pecuniary interest.

Was the Eastern Co (EML) share issuance to James A. Mitarotonda an open-market purchase?

Although coded as a purchase, the footnotes clarify the 1,679 shares were issued under a director fee program. That means they represent stock-based compensation under rule 16b-3(d), not cash used to buy shares in the open market.

What is the significance of the beneficial ownership disclaimer in the Eastern Co (EML) Form 4?

The Form 4 states that Mitarotonda disclaims beneficial ownership of the indirectly held shares, except for his pecuniary interest. This language limits how those 650,000 partnership-held shares are attributed to him for Section 16 and other legal purposes.