Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Purchases 2,252 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 52.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,532 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,252 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $764,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $276,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new position in ESCO Technologies in the third quarter worth approximately $288,000. Mariner LLC lifted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 2.7% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 5,250 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $548,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 7,881 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $922,000 after acquiring an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ESE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Sidoti cut ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. StockNews.com lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 17th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of ESE stock opened at $104.06 on Tuesday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $89.77 and a 12-month high of $118.60. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $102.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company has a market cap of $2.68 billion, a PE ratio of 28.91 and a beta of 1.15.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $218.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $221.44 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 8.59%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.60 earnings per share. Analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st were paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.31%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Leon J. Olivier sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.26, for a total value of $90,234.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.