4,583 Shares in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Purchased by Aquatic Capital Management LLC

Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 4,583 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $611,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ESE. Pitcairn Co. increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 3,479 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $463,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its position in ESCO Technologies by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 2,919 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $389,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 21.7% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heritage Family Offices LLP raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 1,958 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $261,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of ESE opened at $162.04 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $156.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $145.34. The firm has a market cap of $4.18 billion, a PE ratio of 38.04 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $101.42 and a 1-year high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ESE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com downgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Benchmark boosted 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.