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

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * PETSAS WILLIAM D   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol EASTGROUP PROPERTIES INC [EGP] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Senior Vice President (Last) (First) (Middle) 2200 E. CAMELBACK ROAD, SUITE 210 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/02/2016 (Street) PHOENIX, AZ 85016 4. If Amendment, Date 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 (City) (State) (Zip) 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 Stock 03/02/2016   A   3,814 A (1) 129,022 D   Common Stock 03/02/2016   F   226 D $ 56.05 (2) 128,796 D   Common Stock 03/02/2016   A   2,653 A (3) 131,449 D   Common Stock 03/02/2016   F   196 D $ 56.05 (4) 131,253 (5) D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	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 control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

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 Underlying Securities (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 of Derivative Security: 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

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
PETSAS WILLIAM D 2200 E. CAMELBACK ROAD, SUITE 210 PHOENIX, AZ 85016			Senior Vice President

Signatures

Michael C. Donlon, Attorney-in-Fact for William D. Petsas		03/04/2016
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	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).
(1)	Award of restricted shares as 2015 annual long-term incentive compensation pursuant to the Company's 2013 Equity Incentive Plan. These restricted shares vest one-fifth on the date of grant and one-fifth on each of January 1, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
(2)	On March 2, 2016, 763 restricted shares vested and the Reporting Person instructed the Company to withhold 226 shares to cover tax withholding obligations as permitted under the Company's 2013 Equity Incentive Plan.
(3)	Award of restricted shares as 2015 multi-year long-term incentive compensation pursuant to the Company's 2013 Equity Incentive Plan. These restricted shares vest one-fourth on the date of grant and one-fourth on each of January 1, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
(4)	On March 2, 2016, 664 restricted shares vested and the Reporting Person instructed the Company to withhold 196 shares to cover tax withholding obligations as permitted under the Company's 2013 Equity Incentive Plan.
(5)	As of the date hereof, the Reporting Person's direct beneficial ownership includes 34,315 restricted shares granted under the Company's 2013 Equity Incentive Plan and the Company's 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, that have not yet vested.
Remarks: The securities listed as direct ownership are owned by the Reporting Person and his spouse as co-trustees for the Petsas Revocable Trust.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.