ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Sold by Nuveen Asset Management LLC

Nuveen Asset Management LLC lessened its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 7.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 550,254 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 47,148 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC owned approximately 2.13% of ESCO Technologies worth $73,299,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 627.1% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 378.8% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Benchmark boosted 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 Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE:ESE traded down $2.88 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $177.91. The stock had a trading volume of 135,455 shares, compared to its average volume of 132,232. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $101.42 and a fifty-two week high of $185.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The business's 50 day moving average is $160.20 and its 200 day moving average is $149.95. The stock has a market cap of $4.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.76 and a beta of 1.19.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $265.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $264.96 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.18%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.