ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday.

Separately, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Monday, August 28th.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:ESE traded down $0.65 during trading on Monday, reaching $104.19. 92,609 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 89,166. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.69 billion, a PE ratio of 29.52 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $102.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $100.74. ESCO Technologies has a 12-month low of $85.01 and a 12-month high of $109.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 1.30.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 16th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $272.65 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $267.32 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 9.74% and a return on equity of 8.83%. ESCO Technologies’s revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.21 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies will post 3.67 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 45.6% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,265 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $158,000 after buying an additional 709 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 24,387 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,705,000 after buying an additional 4,005 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 13,675 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $956,000 after buying an additional 4,820 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 74,783 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $5,229,000 after purchasing an additional 728 shares during the period. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 13.8% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 22,408 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,567,000 after purchasing an additional 2,711 shares during the period. 93.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Company Profile

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.