ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Holdings Lifted by Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 4.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,047 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 93 shares during the quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $326,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. EWA LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth about $219,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 88.1% in the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 666 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $106,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth about $289,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth about $1,290,000. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ESE opened at $193.18 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.05. The firm has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.36 and a beta of 1.21. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $183.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $161.05. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $108.70 and a 52 week high of $196.13.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $265.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.96 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 11.01%. The company’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.09 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ESE has been the topic of several research reports. Benchmark upped their target price on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st.

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.