Rhumbline Advisers Trims Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Rhumbline Advisers reduced its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 73,042 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 605 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers owned about 0.28% of ESCO Technologies worth $9,730,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 20.9% in the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 411 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 17.9% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 990 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 67.5% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $156,000 after acquiring an additional 471 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ESE. StockNews.com upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 20th. Benchmark boosted their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE ESE opened at $159.09 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $97.11 and a 1-year high of $171.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.35 and a beta of 1.13. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $140.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $133.53.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. Equities analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.51%.

ESCO Technologies Company Profile

ESCO Technologies Inc produces and supplies engineered products and systems for industrial and commercial markets worldwide. It operates through three segments: Aerospace & Defense, Utility Solutions Group, and RF Test & Measurement. The Aerospace & Defense segment designs and manufactures filtration products, including hydraulic filter elements and fluid control devices used in commercial aerospace applications; filter mechanisms used in micro-propulsion devices for satellites; and custom designed filters for manned aircraft and submarines.