Dean Investment Associates LLC Trims Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Dean Investment Associates LLC lessened its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 12.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,810 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 4,759 shares during the period. Dean Investment Associates LLC owned approximately 0.13% of ESCO Technologies worth $4,504,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 152.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 380,104 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $50,634,000 after purchasing an additional 229,601 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $13,066,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $11,435,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 87.3% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $19,187,000 after buying an additional 67,116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,265,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

ESE stock traded up $4.91 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $151.52. The stock had a trading volume of 61,296 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,783. The stock's 50 day moving average is $157.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.77. The firm has a market cap of $3.91 billion, a PE ratio of 35.58 and a beta of 1.07. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $100.84 and a 52 week high of $171.28. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.21%. ESCO Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESE has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Benchmark increased their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st.

ESCO Technologies Company 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.