Eastern (EML) vs Sono-Tek (SOTK)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Sono-Tek (SOTK) has outperformed Eastern (EML) over the past year, gaining 61.3% versus a gain of 9.9%. Over five years, SOTK leads with a +16.0% price change compared with +1.4% for EML. Eastern is the larger company by market cap ($148.0 million vs $111.3 million), about 1.3 times the size.
On valuation, Eastern trades at a lower trailing P/E (21.8x vs 54.5x for Sono-Tek). Eastern pays a dividend yielding 1.79%, while Sono-Tek does not currently pay one.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | EML | SOTK |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $24.59 | $7.08 |
| Market cap | $147.97M | $111.27M |
| 1-day change | -2.19% | +3.81% |
| YTD return | +24.89% | +71.43% |
| 1-year return | +9.92% | +61.28% |
| 5-year return | +1.37% | +15.99% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 21.76 | 54.46 |
| Forward P/E | — | 52.44 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.13 | $0.13 |
| Dividend yield | 1.79% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.44 | $0.00 |
| 52-week high | $29.91 | $7.48 |
| 52-week low | $17.61 | $3.40 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -17.79% | -5.35% |
| Analyst consensus | — | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | — | +20.06% |
| Average volume | 12.17K | 68.25K |
| Shares outstanding | 6.02M | 15.72M |
| Employees | 1,231 | 79 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Technology |
| Industry | Industrial Machinery/Components | Industrial Machinery/Components |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- SOTK has outperformed EML by 51.4 percentage points over the past year.
- Sono-Tek trades at a higher earnings multiple (54.5x vs 21.8x trailing P/E).
- Eastern offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (1.79% vs 0.00%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Eastern in Consumer Discretionary and Sono-Tek in Technology.
About Eastern
EML stock →The Eastern Company designs, manufactures, and sells engineered solutions to industrial markets in the United States and North America. The company offers turnkey returnable packaging solutions, which are used in the assembly processes of vehicles, aircraft, and durable goods, as well as in production processes of plastic packaging products, packaged consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals; injection blow mold tooling products; design, develops, and manufactures 2-step stretch blow molds, and related components for the stretch blow molding industry; and supplies blow molds and change parts to the food, beverage, healthcare, and chemical industries.
Consumer Discretionary · Industrial Machinery/Components · 1,231 employees
About Sono-Tek
SOTK stock →Sono-Tek Corporation designs and manufactures ultrasonic coating systems for applying on parts and components for the microelectronics/electronics, alternative energy, medical, industrial, and research and development/other markets. The company offers custom-engineered ultrasonic coating systems and nozzles and generators.
Technology · Industrial Machinery/Components · 79 employees
EML vs SOTK FAQ
Which is bigger, Eastern or Sono-Tek?
Eastern (EML) is larger, with a market capitalization of $147.97M compared with $111.27M for Sono-Tek (SOTK).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, EML or SOTK?
SOTK returned +61.28% over the past 12 months, compared with +9.92% for EML (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, EML or SOTK?
EML has the lower trailing P/E at 21.8, versus 54.5 for SOTK. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Eastern or Sono-Tek?
Eastern pays a dividend yielding 1.79%, while Sono-Tek does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Eastern and Sono-Tek in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Industrial Machinery/Components industry within the Consumer Discretionary sector.