Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Acquires 18,676 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 1.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,047,741 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,676 shares during the quarter. ESCO Technologies comprises about 1.8% of Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC owned 4.07% of ESCO Technologies worth $135,138,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of ESE. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,895,420 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $309,955,000 after buying an additional 15,801 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,372,850 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $144,204,000 after acquiring an additional 16,152 shares during the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,215,101 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $130,077,000 after buying an additional 69,500 shares during the period. Select Equity Group L.P. boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 277.5% in the 2nd quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 395,460 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $41,539,000 after purchasing an additional 290,711 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 18.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 283,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $29,754,000 after acquiring an additional 43,907 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ESE shares. Stephens boosted their price target on ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Benchmark initiated coverage on ESCO Technologies in a report on Monday, October 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of ESE stock traded up $2.71 on Friday, hitting $128.25. 94,663 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 124,157. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $96.69 and a one year high of $131.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.30 billion, a PE ratio of 33.16 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm's 50 day moving average is $123.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $114.53.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 2nd were paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.25%. ESCO Technologies's payout ratio is presently 8.29%.

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.