State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Sells 9,971 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D cut its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 36.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,230 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 9,971 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D owned approximately 0.07% of ESCO Technologies worth $1,810,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Brown Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $555,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $20,328,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised 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 valued at $1,548,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 45.1% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 14,513 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,698,000 after purchasing an additional 4,511 shares during the period. Finally, TFO Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 53,200.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 533 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 532 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of ESE opened at $126.14 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $3.25 billion, a PE ratio of 33.11 and a beta of 1.08. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.59 and a 1 year high of $127.01. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $110.01.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.03). ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 8.82%. The company had revenue of $260.78 million for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.25%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 8.40%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Tuesday, July 9th.

About ESCO Technologies

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.