UBS Group AG Has $5.62 Million Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• UBS Group AG increased its ESCO Technologies stake by 14.6% in the fourth quarter, holding 28,760 shares worth about $5.62 million. Institutional investors now own roughly 95.7% of the company.
• ESCO Technologies posted solid quarterly results, reporting EPS of $1.91 versus $1.90 expected and revenue of $309.34 million, up 33.5% year over year. The company also issued upbeat guidance for fiscal 2026, forecasting $8.00 to $8.25 EPS.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, payable July 17, and analysts currently rate the stock a Buy on average with a $400 price target. Shares recently traded around $296.09, near their 50-day average.

UBS Group AG raised its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 14.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,760 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 3,674 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned about 0.11% of ESCO Technologies worth $5,619,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ESE. Emerald Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 58.8% in the 3rd quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 141,419 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $29,855,000 after purchasing an additional 52,379 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 59.4% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 86,026 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $18,161,000 after buying an additional 32,069 shares during the period. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 87.5% during the third quarter. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust now owns 87,419 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $18,455,000 after buying an additional 40,786 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 34.6% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 28,965 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $6,115,000 after buying an additional 7,449 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 64.9% during the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 12,891 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $2,721,000 after buying an additional 5,073 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of ESE stock opened at $296.09 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $296.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $251.60. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $174.92 and a one year high of $346.20. The stock has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.01. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 24.69% and a return on equity of 12.88%. The company had revenue of $309.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $307.88 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.35 EPS. ESCO Technologies's revenue for the quarter was up 33.5% compared to the same quarter last year. ESCO Technologies has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.150 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-8.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.19 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on ESE. Wall Street Zen cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $400.00.

About ESCO Technologies

ESCO Technologies Inc is a diversified manufacturer of engineered products and systems designed to meet customers' critical performance requirements in the test, measurement, control, and filtration of data, fluids, and gases. The company serves a wide range of end markets, including commercial aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and communication network sectors. ESCO's solutions are tailored to environments where reliability, precision and regulatory compliance are paramount.

Operating through multiple business segments, ESCO Technologies delivers test and measurement instruments such as RF and microwave components, signal distribution systems, and integrated test enclosures that support defense and aerospace programs.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ESE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.