Intech Investment Management LLC Has $2.51 Million Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 240.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,824 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,290 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.07% of ESCO Technologies worth $2,508,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in ESE. State Street Corp raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,054,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $135,950,000 after purchasing an additional 49,577 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 438,536 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $56,563,000 after buying an additional 13,894 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 306,077 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $40,773,000 after buying an additional 6,203 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $19,412,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 125,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $16,687,000 after acquiring an additional 3,562 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company's stock.

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ESCO Technologies Trading Down 0.8 %

NYSE:ESE traded down $1.27 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $165.15. The stock had a trading volume of 315,897 shares, compared to its average volume of 118,799. The business's 50 day moving average is $151.26 and its 200-day moving average is $139.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. The company has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.77 and a beta of 1.11. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $97.11 and a one year high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be paid 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 0.19%. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is 7.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ESE. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark increased their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, StockNews.com cut ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday.

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.