BNP Paribas Financial Markets Has $706,000 Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets lessened its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 41.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,301 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 3,797 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $706,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 340.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 44,413 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $5,728,000 after acquiring an additional 34,340 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 471 shares in the last quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC grew its position in ESCO Technologies by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 1,743 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Valmark Advisers Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 6,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $903,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Wall Street Zen lowered ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Benchmark upped their target price on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 9th.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $178.76 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $160.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $150.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $101.42 and a 12-month high of $185.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.96 and a beta of 1.19.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.10. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. The business had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.96 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. ESCO Technologies’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.02%.

ESCO Technologies 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.