ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Bought by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 306,077 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,203 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $40,773,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 287.5% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 775 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $103,000 after acquiring an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 747.1% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 378.8% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. Illumine Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $605,000. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 14,091 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,877,000 after buying an additional 383 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ESE shares. Benchmark boosted their price target 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. StockNews.com raised ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 2.5 %

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $160.71 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.15 billion, a PE ratio of 37.72 and a beta of 1.11. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $97.11 and a 1 year high of $171.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $147.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $137.51.

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

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

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 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s 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.