Two Sigma Investments LP Has $1.24 Million Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Two Sigma Investments LP cut its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 16.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,303 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 1,804 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP's holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $1,239,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 152.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 380,104 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $50,634,000 after purchasing an additional 229,601 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $13,066,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $11,435,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 87.3% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $19,187,000 after purchasing an additional 67,116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $6,287,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on ESE shares. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark increased their price objective on 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 lowered ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESE traded up $3.16 during trading on Friday, hitting $184.05. The company's stock had a trading volume of 116,143 shares, compared to its average volume of 133,177. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $165.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $153.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.42 and a 12 month high of $185.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.20 and a beta of 1.22.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

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

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.