ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Bought by Barclays PLC

Barclays PLC boosted its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 4.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 46,493 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,080 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.18% of ESCO Technologies worth $6,193,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 152.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 380,104 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $50,634,000 after acquiring an additional 229,601 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $13,066,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $11,435,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 87.3% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $19,187,000 after acquiring an additional 67,116 shares during the period. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,265,000. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 0.4 %

ESCO Technologies stock traded down $0.64 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $156.94. The company's stock had a trading volume of 153,946 shares, compared to its average volume of 128,503. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $156.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $145.00. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $4.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.84 and a beta of 1.07. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $101.42 and a 52-week high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share 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, sell-side analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

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

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.