American Capital Management Inc. Makes New $22.86 Million Investment in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• American Capital Management acquired 65,312 shares of ESCO Technologies worth approximately $22.86 million, giving it a 0.25% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 95.70% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $416.50; JPMorgan initiated coverage with an “overweight” rating and a $420 target.
• ESCO exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $2.20 versus the $2.12 estimate, while revenue increased 14.4% year over year to $339.03 million. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share.

American Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 65,312 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $22,862,000. American Capital Management Inc. owned 0.25% of ESCO Technologies at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 3,397 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $664,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 677 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $132,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 1,678 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 3,774 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $737,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,675 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $327,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on ESE shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. 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 objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $413.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy (a)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $416.50.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESE opened at $282.77 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.29, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $320.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $302.59. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $193.68 and a twelve month high of $362.15.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.12 by $0.08. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 13.28% and a net margin of 24.39%.The company had revenue of $339.03 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $341.40 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.60 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Equities analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.35 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is 2.64%.

ESCO Technologies Company Profile

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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