2,250 Shares in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Purchased by Alps Advisors Inc.

Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 2,250 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $358,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $35,000. CX Institutional bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank raised its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 0.8%

ESCO Technologies stock traded down $1.52 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $196.01. The company's stock had a trading volume of 128,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 137,923. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $186.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $163.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.33. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $108.70 and a 52-week high of $198.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.98 and a beta of 1.21.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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%. The company's revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Benchmark increased their price target on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st.

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.