Squarepoint Ops LLC Cuts Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Squarepoint Ops LLC lowered its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 44.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,943 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 4,764 shares during the quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC's holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $792,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESE. Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 340.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 44,413 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $5,728,000 after purchasing an additional 34,340 shares during the period. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 67.5% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 471 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Valmark Advisers Inc. boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 6,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $903,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 125,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $16,687,000 after buying an additional 3,562 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESE traded up $1.87 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $181.47. The company had a trading volume of 76,717 shares, compared to its average volume of 132,508. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $101.42 and a twelve month high of $185.83. The stock has a market cap of $4.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.60 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $163.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $152.34.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.10. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. The business had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $264.96 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.09 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is 7.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ESE has been the topic of several recent research reports. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark raised their price target 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st.

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.