ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Reaches New 52-Week High at $125.54

Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $125.54 and last traded at $125.54, with a volume of 75163 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $121.64.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 1.1 %

The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $110.24 and its 200 day moving average is $105.70. The stock has a market cap of $3.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.27 and a beta of 1.10.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 9th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.06. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.83% and a net margin of 9.94%. The business had revenue of $249.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $241.15 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.76 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.22 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 3rd were paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 3rd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.26%. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 8.40%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its position in ESCO Technologies by 35.5% in the 2nd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 185,850 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $19,522,000 after purchasing an additional 48,693 shares during the last quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV bought a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $551,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter worth about $50,000. F M Investments LLC acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter worth about $9,455,000. Finally, Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 0.3% during the second quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,029,065 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $108,093,000 after acquiring an additional 3,146 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

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.