Short Interest in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Rises By 23.9%

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 208,500 shares, an increase of 23.9% from the February 28th total of 168,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 136,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.5 days. Approximately 0.8% of the shares of the company are sold short.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock opened at $160.76 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. ESCO Technologies has a twelve month low of $97.11 and a twelve month high of $171.28. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $154.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $141.44. The firm has a market cap of $4.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.74 and a beta of 1.11.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released its quarterly 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies will post 5.65 EPS 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 given a dividend of $0.08 per share. 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 presently 7.51%.

Institutional Trading of ESCO Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 747.1% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 150.0% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted 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 during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.