ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Sets New 1-Year High - What's Next?

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $197.65 and last traded at $196.49, with a volume of 8498 shares. The stock had previously closed at $194.80.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.05. The company has a market capitalization of $5.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.98 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $186.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $163.54.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $265.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.96 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 11.01%. ESCO Technologies's revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd were paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is presently 7.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ESE. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. CX Institutional acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

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.