Captrust Financial Advisors Has $681,000 Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Captrust Financial Advisors decreased its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 43.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,110 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 3,998 shares during the quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors' holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $681,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in 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 buying an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% during 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 raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 627.1% during 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 raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ESE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark raised their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $178.68. 132,859 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 132,641. The company has a market cap of $4.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.94 and a beta of 1.19. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $161.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $150.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $101.42 and a 52 week high of $185.83.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $265.52 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $264.96 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.09 EPS. Equities analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.02%.

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.