Geneva Capital Management LLC Reduces Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Geneva Capital Management LLC lessened 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 disclosure with the SEC. The firm 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 2.5% of Geneva Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Geneva Capital Management LLC owned about 3.23% of ESCO Technologies worth $132,672,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. CX Institutional purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in ESCO Technologies by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 627.1% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Benchmark raised their price target 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.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:ESE traded down $2.07 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $191.73. 198,545 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 147,342. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $188.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $168.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The stock has a market cap of $4.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.05 and a beta of 1.23. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $111.06 and a fifty-two week high of $198.34.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.02%.

About ESCO Technologies

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.