Mutual of America Capital Management LLC Lowers Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC trimmed its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 77,067 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 487 shares during the quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC owned 0.30% of ESCO Technologies worth $10,266,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 411 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 21.7% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. KBC Group NV raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 67.5% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the period. Finally, Lindenwold Advisors INC acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the third quarter worth about $226,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on ESE. StockNews.com upgraded ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 20th. Benchmark lifted their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 2.8 %

Shares of NYSE ESE opened at $165.23 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $97.11 and a 1 year high of $171.28. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $142.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $134.57. The firm has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.79 and a beta of 1.13.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.51%.

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.