Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Buys 7,963 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 299,874 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,963 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 1.16% of ESCO Technologies worth $38,678,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 20,352 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $2,179,000 after buying an additional 930 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $476,000. Diversified Trust Co lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 7.4% in the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 11,231 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,180,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth about $248,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $391,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 0.2 %

NYSE:ESE opened at $148.74 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $133.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $120.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.91. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $96.69 and a fifty-two week high of $154.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.75 and a beta of 1.08.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ESE shares. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th.

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.