Geneva Capital Management LLC Lowers Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Geneva Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 1.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 835,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 11,576 shares during the quarter. ESCO Technologies makes up approximately 1.9% of Geneva Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Geneva Capital Management LLC owned approximately 3.24% of ESCO Technologies worth $111,320,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ESE. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 55.8% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 11,516 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,485,000 after acquiring an additional 4,125 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 9.1% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 70,387 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $9,079,000 after acquiring an additional 5,874 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the third quarter worth about $942,000. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 5.3% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,477 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $320,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in 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 worth $38,678,000 after acquiring an additional 7,963 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ESE shares. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 2.8 %

Shares of ESE stock opened at $164.75 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $144.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.67 and a beta of 1.13. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $97.11 and a fifty-two week high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. Research analysts expect 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. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is presently 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.