The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Has $1.84 Million Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company trimmed its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 3.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 13,845 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 463 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $1,844,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 29,840 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,975,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 125,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $16,687,000 after acquiring an additional 3,562 shares in the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $267,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 50,700 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $6,754,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

ESE stock opened at $175.07 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $156.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $147.30. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $101.42 and a fifty-two week high of $179.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.52 billion, a PE ratio of 41.10 and a beta of 1.19.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.10. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. The firm had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $264.96 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.09 EPS. ESCO Technologies’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on ESE shares. Benchmark boosted their target price on ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st.

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.