Wells Fargo & Company MN Buys 7,426 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 23.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 39,309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,426 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned about 0.15% of ESCO Technologies worth $5,236,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ESE. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 150.0% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 378.8% during the 4th 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 during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 21.7% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE ESE traded down $0.72 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $157.21. 20,768 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 128,180. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $101.32 and a 1-year high of $171.28. The stock has a market cap of $4.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.93 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $156.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $144.13.

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 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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, analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared 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. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is currently 7.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on ESE. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research 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.