GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Sells 2,337 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 104,423 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 2,337 shares during the quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.40% of ESCO Technologies worth $13,910,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ESE. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 67.3% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 72,858 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $7,653,000 after buying an additional 29,308 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 14,285 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,500,000 after buying an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. Algert Global LLC bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth about $273,000. Creative Planning raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 22.8% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,517 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $895,000 after acquiring an additional 1,582 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 43.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 469 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ESE has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com raised ESCO Technologies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 20th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of ESE stock traded up $3.45 on Monday, hitting $162.02. 246,570 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 98,044. The stock has a market cap of $4.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.03 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.91 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The company has a 50 day moving average of $136.01 and a 200 day moving average of $129.99. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $96.69 and a 12 month high of $165.34.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.99%. On average, equities research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

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

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.