4,545 Shares in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Acquired by Illumine Investment Management LLC

Illumine Investment Management LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 4,545 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $605,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 55.8% during the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 11,516 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,485,000 after purchasing an additional 4,125 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 9.1% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 70,387 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $9,079,000 after purchasing an additional 5,874 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $942,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,477 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $320,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 299,874 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,678,000 after buying an additional 7,963 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ESE traded down $2.72 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $160.22. The company's stock had a trading volume of 183,021 shares, compared to its average volume of 117,416. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $143.17 and a two-hundred day moving average of $135.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.61 and a beta of 1.13. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $97.11 and a 1-year high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. 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. StockNews.com cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Benchmark increased their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th.

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.