ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Sold by Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank trimmed its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 35.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,540 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 10,000 shares during the period. Commerce Bank owned about 0.07% of ESCO Technologies worth $2,950,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 152.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 380,104 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $50,634,000 after acquiring an additional 229,601 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 18,682.3% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 107,247 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $17,065,000 after purchasing an additional 106,676 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at $13,066,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at $11,435,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 87.3% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $19,187,000 after purchasing an additional 67,116 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

ESE stock traded down $2.07 on Tuesday, hitting $191.73. The company had a trading volume of 198,545 shares, compared to its average volume of 147,342. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $111.06 and a 12-month high of $198.34. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $188.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $168.29. The stock has a market cap of $4.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.05 and a beta of 1.23.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is currently 7.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Benchmark upped their price target on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th.

ESCO Technologies 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.