ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest in ESCO Technologies increased by 85.7% in August, totaling 584,900 shares as of August 31st, with a days-to-cover ratio of 2.8 days.
• The company missed earnings estimates for the latest quarter, reporting $1.60 EPS, which was $0.05 below analysts' forecasts, alongside a revenue of $296.34 million.
• ESCO Technologies announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, with a payout ratio of 7.21%, to be paid on October 16th.

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 584,900 shares, a growth of 85.7% from the August 15th total of 315,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 208,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.8 days. Currently, 2.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 2.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 208,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.8 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. CX Institutional bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Maseco LLP bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $45,000. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 2.4%

ESCO Technologies stock traded down $5.22 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $212.53. The stock had a trading volume of 532,007 shares, compared to its average volume of 232,589. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $197.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $179.45. ESCO Technologies has a 52 week low of $119.57 and a 52 week high of $220.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $5.49 billion, a PE ratio of 47.87 and a beta of 1.25.

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

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

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 $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $187.50.

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.