Wrapmanager Inc. Lowers Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Wrapmanager Inc. lowered its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 9.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,506 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 479 shares during the period. Wrapmanager Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $527,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,022,943 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $119,715,000 after acquiring an additional 11,871 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 348,081 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $36,353,000 after purchasing an additional 2,331 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 0.3% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 297,353 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,056,000 after purchasing an additional 965 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 273,716 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $32,033,000 after purchasing an additional 4,248 shares during the period. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 7.9% in the fourth quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 158,157 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $18,509,000 after buying an additional 11,550 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of ESE traded up $2.08 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $111.52. 130,886 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 134,657. The stock has a market cap of $2.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.98 and a beta of 1.14. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $89.77 and a 1-year high of $118.60. The company has a 50 day moving average of $102.91 and a 200-day moving average of $104.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.98.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $218.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $221.44 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.59% and a net margin of 9.60%. ESCO Technologies’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.60 earnings per share. Analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com lowered ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 17th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other ESCO Technologies news, Director Leon J. Olivier sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.26, for a total value of $90,234.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

ESCO Technologies 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.