Captrust Financial Advisors Cuts Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Captrust Financial Advisors lessened its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 43.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 5,110 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 3,998 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors’ holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $681,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ESE. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 152.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 380,104 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $50,634,000 after purchasing an additional 229,601 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $13,066,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $11,435,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 87.3% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $19,187,000 after purchasing an additional 67,116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,287,000. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $183.56 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.42 and a 12 month high of $185.83. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $158.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $148.99. The company has a market cap of $4.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.09 and a beta of 1.19.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $264.96 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.09 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research 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 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on ESE. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report 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.