Blue Trust Inc. Reduces Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Blue Trust Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 39.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 354 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 228 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $47,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 67.5% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $156,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the period. Finally, Lindenwold Advisors INC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $226,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on ESE shares. StockNews.com upgraded ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 20th. Benchmark raised their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of ESE opened at $162.10 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $140.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $133.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $97.11 and a fifty-two week high of $171.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.18 billion, a PE ratio of 38.05 and a beta of 1.13.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued 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 return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. Equities analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.51%.

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.