Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Has $521,000 Stock Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 20.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,913 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 664 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $521,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted 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 acquiring an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 21.7% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 287.5% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 775 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of ESE stock opened at $139.61 on Wednesday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $97.11 and a 52 week high of $171.28. The company has a market capitalization of $3.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.77 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $155.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $142.10. 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 (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ESE shares. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com cut ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Benchmark boosted their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th.

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.