Blue Trust Inc. Trims Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Blue Trust Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 84.1% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 582 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 3,074 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $75,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Horizon Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the second quarter worth about $36,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 43.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 469 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $126,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 2,178.3% in the first 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ESE shares. Benchmark started coverage on ESCO Technologies in a report on Monday, October 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of ESE stock opened at $129.43 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $122.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $114.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.33 billion, a PE ratio of 34.00 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.39. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $96.13 and a 1-year high of $131.26.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $260.78 million during the quarter. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 8.82%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.25%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.40%.

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.