Geneva Capital Management LLC Trims Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Geneva Capital Management LLC decreased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 0.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 833,786 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 1,890 shares during the quarter. ESCO Technologies makes up about 2.5% of Geneva Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Geneva Capital Management LLC owned approximately 3.23% of ESCO Technologies worth $132,672,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. LPL Financial LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 19.4% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,866 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,714,000 after purchasing an additional 2,089 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 87.3% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $19,187,000 after buying an additional 67,116 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $13,066,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 3,913 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $521,000 after acquiring an additional 664 shares during the period. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $218,000. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Benchmark increased their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 1.0%

ESE traded down $1.93 on Thursday, hitting $190.07. 47,183 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 160,943. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a market cap of $4.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.68 and a beta of 1.23. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $188.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $168.45. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $111.06 and a twelve month high of $198.34.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $264.96 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 11.01% and a return on equity of 10.56%. The firm's revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.09 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Company 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.