ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Stock Holdings Decreased by Jane Street Group LLC

Jane Street Group LLC lessened its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 77.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,389 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 25,512 shares during the quarter. Jane Street Group LLC's holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $984,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 29,840 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $3,975,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 378.8% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 447 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 125,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $16,687,000 after buying an additional 3,562 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at $267,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 50,700 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $6,754,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ESE opened at $178.76 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $160.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $150.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $101.42 and a one year high of $185.83. The company has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.96 and a beta of 1.19.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $265.52 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $264.96 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.09 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.18%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ESE shares. Wall Street Zen cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th.

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.

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