ESCO Technologies’ (ESE) Buy Rating Reaffirmed at Benchmark

Benchmark reissued their buy rating on shares of ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. Benchmark currently has a $150.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

Separately, Stephens raised their target price on ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 3.1 %

Shares of ESE opened at $144.30 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.62 and a beta of 1.08. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $127.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $117.48. ESCO Technologies has a 12 month low of $96.69 and a 12 month high of $154.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.22%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.12%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Select Equity Group L.P. lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 277.5% during the second quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 395,460 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $41,539,000 after buying an additional 290,711 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the third quarter worth approximately $19,412,000. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter worth approximately $15,632,000. F M Investments LLC purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter worth approximately $9,455,000. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 6.1% during the first quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,215,101 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $130,077,000 after buying an additional 69,500 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

About ESCO Technologies

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.