Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Takes $269,000 Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,689 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $269,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 152.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 380,104 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $50,634,000 after purchasing an additional 229,601 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 18,682.3% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 107,247 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $17,065,000 after purchasing an additional 106,676 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $13,066,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $11,435,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 87.3% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $19,187,000 after acquiring an additional 67,116 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on ESE. Benchmark increased their target price on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE:ESE traded down $1.52 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $191.47. 133,611 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 163,457. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $183.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $161.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.99 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $108.70 and a 1 year high of $196.13.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $264.96 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.09 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.