ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Reaches New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• ESCO Technologies' stock reached a new **52-week high** of **$205.51**, closing at **$204.49** with a trading volume of **21,107 shares**.
• Wall Street analysts have downgraded ESCO Technologies from a **"buy"** to a **"hold"** rating, with a consensus target price of **$187.50** and a current consensus rating of **"buy."**
• The company plans to distribute a quarterly dividend of **$0.08** per share on **October 16th**, representing a **0.2% dividend yield** and a payout ratio of **7.21%**.

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $205.51 and last traded at $204.49, with a volume of 21107 shares. The stock had previously closed at $202.66.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 1.0%

The business's fifty day moving average price is $194.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $177.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.91 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

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 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 analyst estimates of $320.23 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 11.19%. The business's revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.16 earnings per share. ESCO Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.750-5.900 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 2.040-2.190 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 4,253 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $816,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Castleark Management LLC purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth $5,771,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 87,990 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $16,883,000 after buying an additional 6,140 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 318.6% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,788 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $535,000 after buying an additional 2,122 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 8.8% during the 2nd quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 14,717 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $2,824,000 after buying an additional 1,186 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.