State of Alaska Department of Revenue Sells 1,658 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

State of Alaska Department of Revenue cut its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE – Get Rating) by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 17,899 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,658 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $1,314,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 45.6% in the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,265 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $158,000 after acquiring an additional 709 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $212,000. OLD National Bancorp IN lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 11.2% in the second quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 3,485 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $238,000 after buying an additional 351 shares during the period. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 26.5% in the second quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,675 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $251,000 after buying an additional 770 shares during the period. Finally, PDT Partners LLC acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $319,000. 93.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $89.12 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $60.03 and a twelve month high of $96.69. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $89.56 and its 200-day moving average is $81.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.20 and a beta of 1.08.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE – Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.06. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.13% and a net margin of 9.60%. The company had revenue of $256.50 million for the quarter. Sell-side analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 3.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 5th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 4th. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 10.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ESE has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 21st. Stephens boosted their price target on ESCO Technologies from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 21st.

About ESCO Technologies

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ESCO Technologies Inc produces and supplies engineered products and systems for industrial and commercial markets worldwide. It operates through Aerospace & Defense, Utility Solutions Group, and RF Shielding and Test segments. 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.