Stephens Inc. AR Takes $786,000 Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Stephens Inc. AR purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 6,094 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $786,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Select Equity Group L.P. increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 277.5% during the 2nd 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 buying an additional 290,711 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter worth approximately $15,632,000. F M Investments LLC acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter worth approximately $9,455,000. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $130,077,000 after purchasing an additional 69,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 35.5% during the 2nd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 185,850 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $19,522,000 after purchasing an additional 48,693 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESE traded up $11.98 on Wednesday, reaching $142.65. 242,672 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 124,232. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.67 billion, a PE ratio of 33.89 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The company's 50 day moving average is $123.81 and its 200-day moving average is $115.38. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $96.69 and a fifty-two week high of $147.80.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 during the quarter. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 8.82%. As a group, analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on ESE shares. Stephens upped their price objective on ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Tuesday.

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.