Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Buys 6,203 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 306,077 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,203 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 1.19% of ESCO Technologies worth $40,773,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 411 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 378.8% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 21.7% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

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ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESE traded up $5.87 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $161.88. 101,453 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 126,870. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.18 billion, a PE ratio of 37.94 and a beta of 1.11. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $148.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $138.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $97.11 and a 12 month high of $171.28.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Benchmark upped their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th.

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.