NewEdge Advisors LLC Purchases Shares of 2,645 ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 2,645 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $352,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ESE. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 627.1% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 378.8% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 1.6 %

NYSE:ESE opened at $157.60 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.07 billion, a PE ratio of 36.99 and a beta of 1.07. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $156.04 and its 200 day moving average is $145.00. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.32 and a 12 month high of $171.28.

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

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 7.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ESE shares. StockNews.com downgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th.

ESCO Technologies 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.