Geneva Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 835,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 11,576 shares during the quarter. ESCO Technologies comprises 1.9% of Geneva Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Geneva Capital Management LLC owned approximately 3.24% of ESCO Technologies worth $111,320,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ESE. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 55.8% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 11,516 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,485,000 after buying an additional 4,125 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 70,387 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $9,079,000 after acquiring an additional 5,874 shares during the last quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $942,000. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,477 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $320,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 299,874 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $38,678,000 after purchasing an additional 7,963 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.
ESCO Technologies Stock Performance
Shares of ESE stock traded down $5.08 on Monday, reaching $156.35. The stock had a trading volume of 163,957 shares, compared to its average volume of 117,895. 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 1 year low of $97.11 and a 1 year high of $171.28. The stock has a market cap of $4.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.70 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $145.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $136.27.
ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Equities research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.
ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is presently 7.51%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several research firms recently commented on ESE. Stephens reaffirmed 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 downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th.
Check Out Our Latest Report on ESE
ESCO Technologies Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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