ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Upgraded to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Friday morning.

ESE has been the subject of several other reports. Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 1.6 %

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock opened at $140.07 on Friday. 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 50-day moving average of $137.09 and a 200-day moving average of $122.92. ESCO Technologies has a 52-week low of $96.69 and a 52-week high of $154.00. The stock has a market cap of $3.61 billion, a PE ratio of 35.55 and a beta of 1.11.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.23%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.12%.

Institutional Trading of ESCO Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 20.9% in the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 411 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 5.3% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,477 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $320,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.8% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,222 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $759,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 43.0% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 469 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 17.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 990 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

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.