Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Reduces Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. by 12.9%, selling 168,946 shares, and now holds approximately 4.40% of the company's stock valued at $180.8 million.
• ESCO Technologies reported a quarterly EPS of $1.60, missing analyst estimates, with revenue of $296.34 million, below the expected $320.23 million, but up 13.6% year-over-year.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share to be paid on October 16th, reflecting an annualized dividend yield of 0.2%.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP decreased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 12.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,136,054 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 168,946 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 4.40% of ESCO Technologies worth $180,759,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the first quarter worth $35,000. CX Institutional purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter valued at about $38,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 627.1% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 32.2% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 402 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock traded down $2.2260 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $193.0640. The company's stock had a trading volume of 190,745 shares, compared to its average volume of 205,062. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $191.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $174.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.48 and a beta of 1.23. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $113.30 and a one year high of $201.72.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($0.05). ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 11.19%. The business had revenue of $296.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $320.23 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.16 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. ESCO Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.750-5.900 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 2.040-2.190 EPS. On average, analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is currently 7.21%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ESE shares. Wall Street Zen lowered ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Benchmark boosted their price target on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $187.50.

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.