Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $3.68 Million Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 42.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,942 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.09% of ESCO Technologies worth $3,684,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. CX Institutional bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter valued at about $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $38,000. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of 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 valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ESE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Benchmark lifted their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESE stock traded down $3.70 during trading on Friday, hitting $184.47. The company had a trading volume of 229,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 180,943. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $190.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $171.56. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.30 and a fifty-two week high of $201.72. The company has a market cap of $4.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.55 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $296.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $320.23 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 11.19%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 is Thursday, October 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. ESCO Technologies's 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.