AlphaQuest LLC Sells 1,803 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC has reduced its stake in ESCO Technologies by 58.4%, owning 1,285 shares worth approximately $204,000 after selling 1,803 shares.
• ESCO Technologies reported earnings of $1.60 per share, missing analyst estimates by $0.05, while revenue for the quarter was up 13.6% year-over-year but fell short of expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, with a dividend yield of 0.2%, which will be paid on October 16th.

AlphaQuest LLC cut its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 58.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,285 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 1,803 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $204,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. CX Institutional purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 32.2% during the 1st 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 during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 64.8% during the 1st quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 478 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ESE shares. Benchmark increased their target price on 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 cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, ESCO Technologies has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of ESE traded up $1.55 on Thursday, reaching $203.07. The stock had a trading volume of 64,438 shares, compared to its average volume of 173,486. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.74 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.52. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $193.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $175.71. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.74 and a 12-month high of $205.31.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its 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 firm had revenue of $296.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $320.23 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.16 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. ESCO Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.750-5.900 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 2.040-2.190 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict 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, October 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.21%.

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.