Kennedy Capital Management LLC Grows Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Kennedy Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 6.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,177 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 1,143 shares during the period. Kennedy Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.08% of ESCO Technologies worth $2,160,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $56,000. TFO Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 53,200.0% during the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 533 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 532 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at about $126,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 2,178.3% during the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 1,572 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 1,503 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of ESE stock traded up $1.14 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $122.78. 32,741 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 134,992. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.59 and a 1 year high of $125.10. The company’s 50 day moving average is $110.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $105.58. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a market cap of $3.16 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94 and a beta of 1.10.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 9th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.06. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.83% and a net margin of 9.94%. The firm had revenue of $249.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $241.15 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.76 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.22 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 3rd were given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 3rd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.26%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.40%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Tuesday, July 9th.

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.