ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Given Overweight Rating at Stephens

Stephens reaffirmed their overweight rating on shares of ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $175.00 target price on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on ESE. Benchmark upped their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 20th.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESE stock opened at $160.68 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.72 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $141.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $134.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. ESCO Technologies has a 52-week low of $97.11 and a 52-week high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. As a group, equities analysts expect that ESCO Technologies will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 305 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 20.9% in the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 411 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in 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 valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.