ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Upgraded to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) to a hold rating in a research note released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (a)” rating on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, CJS Securities upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE:ESE opened at $199.56 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.97 and a 200 day simple moving average of $201.77. The stock has a market cap of $5.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.28 and a beta of 1.22. ESCO Technologies has a 1-year low of $127.17 and a 1-year high of $229.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.13 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $286.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $306.39 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 25.76% and a return on equity of 12.21%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.46 EPS. ESCO Technologies has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-7.800 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is 2.77%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Robert J. Phillippy sold 3,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.53, for a total transaction of $823,361.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,519 shares in the company, valued at $1,450,673.07. This trade represents a 36.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Christopher L. Tucker sold 5,000 shares of ESCO Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.15, for a total value of $1,100,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 20,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,429,638.15. This represents a 19.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,699 shares of company stock worth $4,778,734. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the third quarter worth $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in ESCO Technologies by 118.5% during the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 142 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the second quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About ESCO Technologies

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.