Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. Takes Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. has initiated a new investment in ESCO Technologies Inc., acquiring approximately 194,079 shares for a total value of $30.88 million.
• ESCO Technologies recently reported lower than expected earnings for Q2, with an EPS of $1.60, missing the consensus estimate by $0.05.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, with payment scheduled for October 16th, reflecting a 0.2% yield.

Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 194,079 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $30,882,000. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. owned 0.75% of ESCO Technologies as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ESE. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. CX Institutional bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. CWM LLC increased 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 worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 627.1% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Benchmark upped their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock traded down $1.33 during trading on Monday, reaching $193.96. The company's stock had a trading volume of 26,075 shares, compared to its average volume of 165,910. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.30 and a 52-week high of $201.72. The company has a market cap of $5.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.69 and a beta of 1.23. The firm's 50-day moving average is $190.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.60 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $296.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $320.23 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.16 EPS. ESCO Technologies's revenue for the quarter was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. ESCO Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.750-5.900 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 2.040-2.190 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio 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.