ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Acquired by Smartleaf Asset Management LLC

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 378.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 447 shares during the quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $75,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,054,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $135,950,000 after buying an additional 49,577 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 3.3% during the third quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 438,536 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $56,563,000 after purchasing an additional 13,894 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 2.7% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 299,874 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,678,000 after purchasing an additional 7,963 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $19,412,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 125,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $16,687,000 after purchasing an additional 3,562 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com cut ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Benchmark upped 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 NYSE:ESE opened at $161.65 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.94 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $145.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $136.27. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $97.11 and a 12 month high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 EPS 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%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

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

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.