Vanguard Group Inc. Reduces Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its stake by 2.5% (sold 72,332 shares) and now owns 2,876,105 shares—about 11.12% of ESCO, valued at $561.96M, while institutional investors hold 95.70% of the stock.
• Strong quarterly beat and guidance: ESCO reported $1.64 EPS vs. $1.32 expected and $289.66M revenue (up 17.3% YoY), and set Q2 2026 EPS guidance of 1.75–1.85 and FY2026 guidance of 7.90–8.15 (analysts ~8.1).
• Shares opened at $327.73 with a market cap of $8.49B and a P/E of 27.89; the company pays a $0.32 annual dividend (yield ~0.1%) and has a consensus analyst rating of Buy with an average target of $300 (below the current price).

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,876,105 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 72,332 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 11.12% of ESCO Technologies worth $561,962,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 844 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $165,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 9.7% during the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 677 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $132,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.7% during the third quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 1,678 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $354,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 19.4% during the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 418 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $88,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 14.7% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 545 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $112,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $327.73 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a market cap of $8.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.89, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.18. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $161.61 and a 52 week high of $330.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $289.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $244.15.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.64 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $289.66 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $289.30 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 25.28% and a return on equity of 12.55%. The firm's revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.92 earnings per share. ESCO Technologies has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.15 EPS. Research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.1 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd were given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2.72%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, February 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $300.00.

ESCO Technologies Company Profile

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.

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