ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Research Coverage Started at Benchmark

Equities researchers at Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock. Benchmark's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 17.87% from the stock's previous close.

Separately, Stephens lifted their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock traded up $1.06 on Monday, hitting $127.26. 97,966 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 125,156. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.40 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $121.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.28. ESCO Technologies has a 1-year low of $94.59 and a 1-year high of $130.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.19 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $260.78 million for the quarter. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.82% and a net margin of 9.95%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that ESCO Technologies will post 4.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of ESCO Technologies

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Select Equity Group L.P. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 277.5% in the second quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 395,460 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $41,539,000 after purchasing an additional 290,711 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $15,632,000. Tributary Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the first quarter valued at approximately $12,377,000. F M Investments LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $9,455,000. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 6.1% in the first quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,215,101 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $130,077,000 after purchasing an additional 69,500 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

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.