ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Sold by Comerica Bank

Comerica Bank decreased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 4.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 85,124 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 3,648 shares during the period. Comerica Bank owned approximately 0.33% of ESCO Technologies worth $9,113,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the first quarter worth $56,000. TFO Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 53,200.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 533 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 532 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the first quarter valued at $126,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2,178.3% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 1,572 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 1,503 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 3.9 %

ESCO Technologies stock traded down $4.61 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $113.61. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 13,765 shares, compared to its average volume of 134,940. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.42. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.59 and a 52-week high of $125.54. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $110.42 and its 200 day moving average is $105.78. The company has a market cap of $2.93 billion, a PE ratio of 31.03 and a beta of 1.09.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 3rd were given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 3rd. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 8.40%.

ESCO Technologies 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.