Loomis Sayles & Co. L P Decreases Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Loomis Sayles & Co. L P decreased its holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 426,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 12,451 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P owned approximately 1.65% of ESCO Technologies worth $56,759,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at $19,412,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 87.3% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $19,187,000 after purchasing an additional 67,116 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 4.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,054,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $135,950,000 after purchasing an additional 49,577 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $5,265,000. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 340.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 44,413 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $5,728,000 after buying an additional 34,340 shares in the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

ESE stock opened at $160.26 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $152.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $139.98. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $97.11 and a 52-week high of $171.28. The company has a market capitalization of $4.14 billion, a PE ratio of 37.62 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

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, topping 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 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 7.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ESE shares. Benchmark upped their price target on ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st.

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.