ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Earns Overweight Rating from Stephens

Stephens reissued their overweight rating on shares of ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) in a research note published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $125.00 price objective on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

NYSE ESE opened at $113.95 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $2.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.91 and a beta of 1.10. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $106.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.72. ESCO Technologies has a fifty-two week low of $94.59 and a fifty-two week high of $118.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.42.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 9th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $249.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $241.15 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.83% and a net margin of 9.94%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.76 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies will post 4.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 3rd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.40%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Moody National Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 2,827 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $297,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 10,400 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,217,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 13,231 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,548,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 2.3% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 12,918 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,383,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,529 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,349,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.