ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Acquired by Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,919 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $389,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 17,611 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,346,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 50,700 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $6,754,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $635,000. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth $5,265,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 215.4% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 7,813 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,041,000 after acquiring an additional 5,336 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 2.7 %

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $160.26 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $4.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.62 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $152.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $139.98. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $97.11 and a 12-month high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.91%. On average, research analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 7.51%.

ESCO Technologies Company 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.