ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Upgraded at StockNews.com

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 2.5 %

ESE stock traded up $3.86 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $160.71. 141,800 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 116,931. ESCO Technologies has a 52-week low of $97.11 and a 52-week high of $171.28. The stock's fifty day moving average is $147.76 and its 200-day moving average is $137.51. The company has a market cap of $4.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.72 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that ESCO Technologies will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 68,852 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $9,172,000 after purchasing an additional 7,874 shares in the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 35.5% during the fourth quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 48,005 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $6,395,000 after buying an additional 12,577 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,861 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $248,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 240,952 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $32,097,000 after acquiring an additional 1,317 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 44.5% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 7,799 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,039,000 after acquiring an additional 2,401 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company's stock.

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.