Fifth Third Bancorp Boosts Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 8,434.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 63,496 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 62,752 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp owned about 0.25% of ESCO Technologies worth $17,866,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in ESE. Horizon Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 59.4% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 11,821 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $2,309,000 after acquiring an additional 4,406 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 14.6% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 28,760 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $5,619,000 after purchasing an additional 3,674 shares during the last quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $1,171,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 59.4% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 86,026 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $18,161,000 after purchasing an additional 32,069 shares during the period. Finally, Freemont Management S.A. acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $2,911,000. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 2.5%

Shares of NYSE ESE opened at $320.84 on Tuesday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $174.92 and a 12-month high of $362.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm's 50-day moving average is $317.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $281.20. The company has a market capitalization of $8.31 billion, a PE ratio of 26.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.09.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.01. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 24.69% and a return on equity of 12.88%. The firm had revenue of $309.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $307.88 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.35 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 33.5% on a year-over-year basis. ESCO Technologies has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.150 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-8.250 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is currently 2.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ESE. Wall Street Zen cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on ESCO Technologies in a research report on Monday, June 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $420.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised ESCO Technologies from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a)" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $410.00.

ESCO Technologies Company Profile

ESCO Technologies Inc is a diversified manufacturer of engineered products and systems designed to meet customers' critical performance requirements in the test, measurement, control, and filtration of data, fluids, and gases. The company serves a wide range of end markets, including commercial aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and communication network sectors. ESCO's solutions are tailored to environments where reliability, precision and regulatory compliance are paramount.

Operating through multiple business segments, ESCO Technologies delivers test and measurement instruments such as RF and microwave components, signal distribution systems, and integrated test enclosures that support defense and aerospace programs.

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