ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE Holdings Lifted by Vanguard Group Inc.

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 2.3%, owning approximately 11.52% of the company, which is valued at about $473 million.
• ESCO Technologies' stock recently traded down by 2.0%, reaching $184.47, with a market cap of $4.76 billion and a PE ratio of 41.55.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08, representing an annualized yield of 0.2%, with the dividend set to be paid on October 16th.

Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,973,925 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 66,392 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 11.52% of ESCO Technologies worth $473,211,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. CX Institutional acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the first quarter valued at about $38,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in 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 worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 32.2% during the first 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 during the period. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESCO Technologies stock traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $187.84. 7,306 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 164,702. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.30 and a 12-month high of $201.72. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $190.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $172.21. The company has a market capitalization of $4.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.37 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

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

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.