Invesco Ltd. Increases Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 15.4% during the first quarter, now owning 158,644 shares valued at approximately $25.2 million.
• Following a recent earnings announcement, ESCO Technologies reported earnings of $1.60 per share, missing estimates as revenue fell short of expectations at $296.34 million.
• Research analysts have a consensus price target of $187.50 for ESCO Technologies, with a recent boost in target price by Benchmark from $190.00 to $200.00.

Invesco Ltd. grew its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 15.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 158,644 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 21,166 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. owned about 0.61% of ESCO Technologies worth $25,243,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of ESE. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 2,824 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 46,493 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $6,193,000 after purchasing an additional 2,080 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $352,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $1,117,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ESE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

NYSE ESE traded up $1.10 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $194.85. 207,592 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 205,489. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.30 and a 52-week high of $201.72. The company has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a PE ratio of 43.88 and a beta of 1.23. 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 firm's 50-day moving average is $191.38 and its 200-day moving average is $174.24.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $320.23 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company 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. Equities analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

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

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.