Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado Sells 24,179 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado cut its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) by 10.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 212,910 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 24,179 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado owned 0.83% of ESCO Technologies worth $28,362,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 150.0% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 627.1% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 378.8% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of ESE stock opened at $158.15 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $156.52 and a 200 day moving average of $144.53. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $101.32 and a 1 year high of $171.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.12 and a beta of 1.07.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. As a group, research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on ESE shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Benchmark upped their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th.

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.

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