Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV Purchases Shares of 8,108 ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 8,108 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $1,290,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. CX Institutional bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake 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 valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake 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 valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 627.1% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 378.8% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 447 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 0.3%

NYSE:ESE traded up $0.48 on Wednesday, reaching $182.74. 107,567 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 135,262. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $170.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $155.01. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.42 and a 12 month high of $187.83. The company has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.07 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

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

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is 7.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ESE has been the subject of several analyst reports. Benchmark increased their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th.

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.