ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

A number of other research firms have also commented on ESE. Stephens lifted their price objective on ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Friday, November 15th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE ESE opened at $128.73 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.67 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. ESCO Technologies has a twelve month low of $96.69 and a twelve month high of $154.00. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $140.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $126.55.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake 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 in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 4.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,054,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $135,950,000 after purchasing an additional 49,577 shares in the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.8% during the third quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,047,741 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $135,138,000 after purchasing an additional 18,676 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 438,536 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $56,563,000 after purchasing an additional 13,894 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Select Equity Group L.P. grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 277.5% in the 2nd quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 395,460 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $41,539,000 after buying an additional 290,711 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.