Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC Trims Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC cut its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 553,756 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 33,733 shares during the period. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC owned approximately 2.15% of ESCO Technologies worth $73,766,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESE. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,907,533 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $387,312,000 after buying an additional 32,306 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 152.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 380,104 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $50,634,000 after buying an additional 229,601 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in ESCO Technologies by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 306,077 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $40,773,000 after acquiring an additional 6,203 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 7.0% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 297,264 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $39,599,000 after acquiring an additional 19,465 shares during the period. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 240,952 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $32,097,000 after acquiring an additional 1,317 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 1.8%

ESE opened at $181.72 on Friday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.42 and a 12 month high of $185.83. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $158.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $148.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $4.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.66 and a beta of 1.19.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.10. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. The company had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $264.96 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. ESCO Technologies's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities 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 will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.18%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on ESE. StockNews.com downgraded ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Benchmark lifted their price objective on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies Profile

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.

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