Sei Investments Co. Takes $940,000 Position in Eastern Company (The) $EML

Key Points

• Sei Investments Co. acquired 46,442 shares of Eastern Company worth approximately $940,000, giving it a 0.77% stake. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.99% of the company.
• Eastern’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations, with earnings of $0.15 per share versus the $0.67 consensus estimate and revenue of $61.82 million versus $73.69 million expected.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.11 per share, equivalent to an annualized $0.44 payout and a 1.7% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating, while the stock recently traded at $25.65.

Sei Investments Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Eastern Company (The) (NASDAQ:EML - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 46,442 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $940,000. Sei Investments Co. owned 0.77% of Eastern at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Eastern by 82.9% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,273 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 577 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Eastern by 3.5% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 18,455 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Eastern by 0.3% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 257,126 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $6,032,000 after purchasing an additional 775 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Eastern by 10.9% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 9,002 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $177,000 after purchasing an additional 886 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Eastern by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 139,480 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,747,000 after purchasing an additional 974 shares during the period. 76.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eastern Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ EML opened at $25.65 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 3.52 and a quick ratio of 1.64. Eastern Company has a one year low of $17.61 and a one year high of $29.91. The business's 50-day moving average price is $24.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.76. The company has a market capitalization of $154.70 million, a P/E ratio of 19.14 and a beta of 0.84.

Eastern (NASDAQ:EML - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The industrial products company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.52). The firm had revenue of $61.82 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $73.69 million. Eastern had a return on equity of 3.41% and a net margin of 3.44%.

Eastern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Eastern's payout ratio is 32.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Eastern in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Eastern News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Eastern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Backlog jumped 45% year over year to $126.2 million, supported by acquired aerospace orders and stronger demand for truck mirror assemblies, returnable transport packaging, and latch and handle products. Management said the backlog provides enhanced visibility for improving underlying profitability during the remainder of 2026. The Eastern Company Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The June acquisition of Sungear and Crown Precision expands Eastern’s presence in precision manufacturing for aerospace, defense, and adjacent markets. The deals contributed a $6.5 million non-cash bargain purchase gain, helping net income from continuing operations rise to $5.6 million, or $0.94 per diluted share, from $2.0 million, or $0.33, a year earlier. The Eastern Company Reports Q2 2026 Net Income of $5.6 Million
• Positive Sentiment: Eastern repurchased 19,529 shares during the quarter and retained authorization to buy back 256,275 additional shares. Insider activity was also supportive, with reported open-market purchases and no insider sales over the past six months.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management discussed the results on its August 12 earnings call, providing investors with additional details on the acquisitions, backlog, and the company’s outlook. The Eastern Company Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly sales declined 12% year over year to $61.8 million, below the approximately $73.7 million analyst estimate. Adjusted EBITDA fell to $3.4 million from $6.7 million, indicating that the headline earnings improvement was heavily influenced by the acquisition-related gain rather than stronger operating performance.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eastern

In other Eastern news, Director Peggy Scott bought 1,176 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $21.40 per share, with a total value of $25,166.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 26,262 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $562,006.80. The trade was a 4.69% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director James A. Mitarotonda purchased 1,679 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $21.40 per share, for a total transaction of $35,930.60. Following the purchase, the director owned 46,190 shares in the company, valued at $988,466. The trade was a 3.77% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders acquired 13,264 shares of company stock worth $285,179 over the last ninety days. 18.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

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