ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Shares Sold by Nebula Research & Development LLC

Nebula Research & Development LLC decreased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 12.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 6,073 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 900 shares during the quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $809,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ESE. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 22,903 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,051,000 after purchasing an additional 1,842 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 81.6% in the fourth quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 11,487 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,530,000 after purchasing an additional 5,160 shares during the period. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury increased its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 13,531 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,802,000 after purchasing an additional 1,392 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 15,613 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,080,000 after buying an additional 668 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 91.8% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 33,783 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $4,500,000 after buying an additional 16,170 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

NYSE ESE opened at $158.15 on Monday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.32 and a 12 month high of $171.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.08 billion, a PE ratio of 37.12 and a beta of 1.07. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $156.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $144.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.35.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 10.44%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 7.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on ESE shares. Benchmark raised their target price on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com lowered ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th.

ESCO Technologies 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.