ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Short Interest Up 30.0% in November

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 342,300 shares, a growth of 30.0% from the October 31st total of 263,300 shares. Approximately 1.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 113,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.0 days.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESCO Technologies stock opened at $148.41 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $133.54 and its 200 day moving average is $120.47. The company has a market cap of $3.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.67 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. ESCO Technologies has a 52-week low of $96.69 and a 52-week high of $154.00.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 8.12%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ESE. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 4.8% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 20,352 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $2,179,000 after purchasing an additional 930 shares during the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 2,827 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $297,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth about $476,000. Diversified Trust Co increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 7.4% during the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 11,231 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,180,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $248,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on ESE. Stephens raised their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. StockNews.com lowered ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

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.