KBC Group NV Purchases 471 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

KBC Group NV boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 67.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $156,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 20.9% in the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 411 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 43.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 469 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 17.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 990 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $128,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the third quarter valued at approximately $207,000. Finally, Lindenwold Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $226,000. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on ESE. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 20th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $132.34 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $136.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $129.59. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $96.69 and a fifty-two week high of $154.00. The company has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.59 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.91 and a quick ratio of 1.31.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 9.09%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.24%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.12%.

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.