Susquehanna International Group LLP Boosts Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Susquehanna International Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 81.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 11,487 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,160 shares during the period. Susquehanna International Group LLP's holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $1,530,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Pitcairn Co. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 3,479 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $463,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 2,919 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $389,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Valmark Advisers Inc. raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 6,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $903,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 1,958 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $261,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonegate Investment Group LLC lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 1,743 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $232,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock traded up $1.93 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $183.56. The company had a trading volume of 182,310 shares, compared to its average volume of 131,694. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The company's 50-day moving average is $158.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $148.48. The company has a market cap of $4.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.09 and a beta of 1.19. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $101.42 and a twelve month high of $185.83.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $264.96 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. ESCO Technologies's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark increased their target price on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st.

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.