Geode Capital Management LLC Has $77.92 Million Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Geode Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 0.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 584,813 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 4,629 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.27% of ESCO Technologies worth $77,921,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FMR LLC grew its position in ESCO Technologies by 126.4% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,539 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 5.3% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,477 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $320,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 4.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,054,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $135,950,000 after acquiring an additional 49,577 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $19,412,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 31.9% during the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 32,901 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $4,244,000 after purchasing an additional 7,951 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on ESE. 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. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE ESE traded up $2.59 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $152.27. The stock had a trading volume of 122,561 shares, compared to its average volume of 129,136. 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 fifty-two week low of $97.11 and a fifty-two week high of $171.28. The firm has a market cap of $3.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.74 and a beta of 1.07. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $157.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $142.95.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. Research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.21%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is 7.51%.

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.