Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 11,529 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 302 shares during the quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $1,349,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of ESE. Operose Advisors LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Point72 Middle East FZE bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $51,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the third quarter worth approximately $56,000. Finally, State of Wyoming grew its stake in ESCO Technologies by 25.6% in the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 917 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of NYSE ESE opened at $100.92 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.60 billion, a PE ratio of 28.03 and a beta of 1.15. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $101.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.87. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $89.77 and a 12-month high of $118.60.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $218.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $221.44 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 8.59%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.60 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 1st were given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.32%. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 8.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com cut ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 17th. Sidoti cut ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th.

Insider Transactions at ESCO Technologies

In other news, Director Leon J. Olivier sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.26, for a total value of $90,234.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

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.