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

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday.

Separately, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Monday, August 28th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of ESCO Technologies stock traded down $0.65 on Monday, reaching $104.19. 92,609 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 89,166. ESCO Technologies has a one year low of $85.01 and a one year high of $109.57. The company has a market capitalization of $2.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.52 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The company has a 50-day moving average of $102.58 and a 200 day moving average of $100.74.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 16th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.05. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.83% and a net margin of 9.74%. The business had revenue of $272.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $267.32 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.21 EPS. ESCO Technologies’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies will post 3.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of ESCO Technologies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 45.6% in the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,265 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $158,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 19.6% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 24,387 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,705,000 after acquiring an additional 4,005 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 54.4% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 13,675 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $956,000 after purchasing an additional 4,820 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 74,783 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $5,229,000 after purchasing an additional 728 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 13.8% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 22,408 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,567,000 after acquiring an additional 2,711 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.45% of the company’s stock.

About ESCO Technologies

ESCO Technologies Inc produces and supplies engineered products and systems for industrial and commercial markets worldwide. It operates through Aerospace & Defense, Utility Solutions Group, and RF Shielding and Test segments. 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.