ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Sold by Moody National Bank Trust Division

Moody National Bank Trust Division lowered its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 11.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 2,692 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 350 shares during the quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $359,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ESE. Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 55.8% during 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 buying an additional 4,125 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 9.1% during 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 last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,372,850 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $144,204,000 after acquiring an additional 16,152 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at $942,000. Finally, Creative Planning boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 53.1% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 13,043 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,682,000 after purchasing an additional 4,526 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, StockNews.com raised ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock opened at $132.49 on Wednesday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $96.69 and a one year high of $154.00. The company has a market cap of $3.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.63 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.91. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $140.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $127.22.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.24%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.12%.

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.