New Age Alpha Advisors LLC Buys New Shares in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 1,506 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $201,000.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in ESCO Technologies by 747.1% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 378.8% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 565 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 21.7% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 571 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 287.5% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 775 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE:ESE opened at $160.76 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $154.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $141.44. The stock has a market cap of $4.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.74 and a beta of 1.11. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $97.11 and a twelve month high of $171.28.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

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

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.