4,094,472 Shares in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE Bought by BlackRock Inc.

Key Points

• BlackRock acquired 4.09 million ESCO Technologies shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $1.43 billion and representing a 15.8% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 95.7% of the company.
• ESCO Technologies exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $2.20 in EPS versus the $2.12 consensus, while revenue rose 14.4% year over year to $339.03 million. Management guided fiscal 2026 EPS to $8.30–$8.40.
• The stock was trading down 2.3% at $284.02, while analysts maintained an overall “Buy” rating with a consensus price target of $416.50. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share.

BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 4,094,472 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $1,433,229,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 15.80% of ESCO Technologies as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth $10,171,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter valued at about $293,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter valued at about $13,030,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter worth about $218,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter worth about $531,000. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of ESE stock opened at $284.02 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a PE ratio of 23.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.10. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $185.75 and a 1 year high of $362.15. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $324.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $301.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $339.03 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $341.40 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 24.39% and a return on equity of 13.28%. ESCO Technologies's quarterly revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.60 earnings per share. ESCO Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.300-8.400 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.650 EPS. Research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.34 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 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 2.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ESE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $413.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Monday, August 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Monday, June 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $420.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy (a)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $416.50.

About ESCO Technologies

ESCO Technologies Inc is a diversified manufacturer of engineered products and systems designed to meet customers' critical performance requirements in the test, measurement, control, and filtration of data, fluids, and gases. The company serves a wide range of end markets, including commercial aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and communication network sectors. ESCO's solutions are tailored to environments where reliability, precision and regulatory compliance are paramount.

Operating through multiple business segments, ESCO Technologies delivers test and measurement instruments such as RF and microwave components, signal distribution systems, and integrated test enclosures that support defense and aerospace programs.

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