ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Now Covered by Analysts at Benchmark

Benchmark started coverage on shares of ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) in a research report report published on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $150.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

Separately, Stephens raised their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of ESE stock opened at $128.85 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $3.32 billion, a PE ratio of 33.82 and a beta of 1.08. ESCO Technologies has a 1-year low of $94.59 and a 1-year high of $130.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The company has a 50-day moving average of $122.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $113.65.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.19 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $260.78 million for the quarter. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.82% and a net margin of 9.95%. On average, analysts predict that ESCO Technologies will post 4.15 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.25%. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 8.40%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Tributary Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 28.7% during the 3rd quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 180,352 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $23,262,000 after purchasing an additional 40,268 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 106,760 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $13,770,000 after buying an additional 624 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 17.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 990 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $128,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Trust Point Inc. boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 27.3% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 7,309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $943,000 after buying an additional 1,567 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stonegate Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth about $207,000. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.