ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Acquired by EntryPoint Capital LLC

EntryPoint Capital LLC boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 135.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,514 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 2,598 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $601,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $19,412,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 4.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,054,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $135,950,000 after acquiring an additional 49,577 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $5,265,000. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 340.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 44,413 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $5,728,000 after acquiring an additional 34,340 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,907,533 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $387,312,000 after purchasing an additional 32,306 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESE has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com lowered ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Benchmark boosted their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 4.2 %

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $166.07 on Tuesday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $97.11 and a 52 week high of $171.28. The company’s 50 day moving average is $151.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $139.48. The company has a market cap of $4.29 billion, a PE ratio of 38.98 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.51%.

ESCO Technologies Company 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.