Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Sells 3,889 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 0.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,043,852 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 3,889 shares during the quarter. ESCO Technologies comprises about 1.8% of Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $139,051,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,054,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $135,950,000 after acquiring an additional 49,577 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.3% during the third quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 438,536 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $56,563,000 after purchasing an additional 13,894 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2.7% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 299,874 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,678,000 after purchasing an additional 7,963 shares in the last quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 28.7% in 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 last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth $19,412,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 0.6 %

ESCO Technologies stock opened at $132.61 on Monday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $96.69 and a twelve month high of $154.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a 50 day moving average of $137.17 and a 200-day moving average of $129.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.42 billion, a PE ratio of 33.66 and a beta of 1.13.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on ESE. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th. StockNews.com raised ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 20th.

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.