Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Lowers Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• Conestoga Capital Advisors cut its ESCO Technologies stake by 30.1% in the first quarter, selling 233,815 shares and leaving it with 541,781 shares worth about $152.4 million.
• Other institutional investors have been active in the stock, and 95.7% of ESCO Technologies shares are held by institutions overall.
• ESCO Technologies reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings and revenue, raised guidance for FY 2026, and analysts currently rate the stock a Buy with an average price target of $410.

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 30.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 541,781 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 233,815 shares during the period. ESCO Technologies comprises 3.0% of Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC owned about 2.09% of ESCO Technologies worth $152,441,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in ESE. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 97,963,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,938,911 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $574,234,000 after purchasing an additional 2,938,908 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 103.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 902,956 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $176,429,000 after buying an additional 458,980 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in ESCO Technologies by 1,204.3% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 432,050 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $91,210,000 after buying an additional 398,926 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter valued at approximately $81,106,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 26.0% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 891,144 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $188,129,000 after buying an additional 183,900 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on ESE shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on ESCO Technologies in a research note on Monday, June 15th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $420.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings raised ESCO Technologies from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a)" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Friday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $410.00.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $340.57 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.09. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $174.92 and a 1-year high of $362.15. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $315.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $273.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $309.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $307.88 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 24.69% and a return on equity of 12.88%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 33.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.35 earnings per share. ESCO Technologies has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.150 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-8.250 EPS. Research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 2.69%.

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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