ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Short Interest Down 37.3% in September

Key Points

• ESCO Technologies Inc. experienced a significant **37.3% drop** in short interest in September, reducing from 584,900 shares to 366,800 shares.
• The company has a **current market cap of $5.39 billion** and reported earnings per share of **$1.60**, missing analysts' estimates for the previous quarter.
• ESCO Technologies announced a quarterly dividend of **$0.08 per share**, which will be paid on October 16th, representing an annualized yield of **0.2%**.

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totaling 366,800 shares, a drop of 37.3% from the August 31st total of 584,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 211,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.7 days. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 211,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.7 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ESE. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, ESCO Technologies currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ESE opened at $208.73 on Friday. ESCO Technologies has a 1-year low of $119.57 and a 1-year high of $220.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market cap of $5.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.01 and a beta of 1.23. The business's 50 day moving average is $200.69 and its 200-day moving average is $183.16.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $296.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $320.23 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 11.19%. The company's revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. ESCO Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.750-5.900 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 2.040-2.190 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,973,925 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $473,211,000 after acquiring an additional 66,392 shares in the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 882,959 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $169,413,000 after purchasing an additional 49,173 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 345.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 707,244 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $135,699,000 after buying an additional 548,600 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter worth $90,067,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 3.1% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 315,479 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $50,199,000 after buying an additional 9,402 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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