GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Sells 2,531 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. cut its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 2.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 101,892 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 2,531 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. owned 0.39% of ESCO Technologies worth $16,213,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ESE. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. CX Institutional acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 747.1% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its position 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 worth $41,000 after buying an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 627.1% in 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. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 0.7%

NYSE ESE traded up $1.27 on Friday, reaching $194.68. The company had a trading volume of 689,582 shares, compared to its average volume of 140,438. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.33. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $101.42 and a 1 year high of $196.71. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $176.44 and a 200-day moving average of $157.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a PE ratio of 42.69 and a beta of 1.22.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 11.01%. The business had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.96 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.09 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is presently 7.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on ESE shares. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st.

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.