ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Sold by Diversified Trust Co

Diversified Trust Co reduced its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 43.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,052 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 4,605 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co's holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $963,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. CX Institutional purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the first quarter worth $36,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 627.1% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of ESE stock traded up $1.90 on Wednesday, hitting $192.62. 85,235 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 163,818. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $101.97 and a twelve month high of $195.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a PE ratio of 42.24 and a beta of 1.21. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $178.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $158.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.05.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Benchmark increased their price objective 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 lowered ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st.

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.