Royce & Associates LP Sells 3,853 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Royce & Associates LP cut its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 552,098 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 3,853 shares during the quarter. ESCO Technologies makes up about 0.7% of Royce & Associates LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 2.14% of ESCO Technologies worth $73,545,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESE. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 2,919 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $389,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 17,611 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $2,346,000 after buying an additional 336 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 50,700 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $6,754,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $635,000. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $5,265,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 2.5 %

ESCO Technologies stock opened at $160.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. The stock has a market cap of $4.15 billion, a PE ratio of 37.72 and a beta of 1.11. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $147.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $137.51. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $97.11 and a one year high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on ESE. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Benchmark raised their target price 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.

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.