ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Sold by Wrapmanager Inc.

Wrapmanager Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 23.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,377 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 739 shares during the quarter. Wrapmanager Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $317,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 125,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $16,687,000 after purchasing an additional 3,562 shares during the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 6,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $903,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Stonegate Investment Group LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 1,743 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $232,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 67.5% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 471 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of ESE stock opened at $161.72 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $97.11 and a fifty-two week high of $171.28. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $140.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $133.53. The firm has a market cap of $4.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.96 and a beta of 1.13.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.