Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado Reduces Stock Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lessened its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 10.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 212,910 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 24,179 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado owned approximately 0.83% of ESCO Technologies worth $28,362,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 340.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 44,413 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $5,728,000 after buying an additional 34,340 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 20,917 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $2,608,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 1,958 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 67.5% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $156,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com downgraded ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE:ESE traded up $4.47 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $165.74. 54,285 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 129,304. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $101.42 and a one year high of $171.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $4.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.85 and a beta of 1.07. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $156.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.34.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. Research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.51%.

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.