ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Raised to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have assigned a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 3.4%

ESCO Technologies stock opened at $195.49 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $214.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $200.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. ESCO Technologies has a 12 month low of $127.17 and a 12 month high of $229.46. The stock has a market cap of $5.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.93 and a beta of 1.22.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released 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 business had revenue of $286.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $306.39 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 12.21% and a net margin of 25.76%.ESCO Technologies’s quarterly revenue was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. 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. As a group, equities analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert J. Phillippy sold 3,700 shares of ESCO Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.53, for a total value of $823,361.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,519 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,450,673.07. The trade was a 36.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Bryan H. Sayler sold 9,382 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $2,064,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 20,655 shares in the company, valued at $4,544,100. The trade was a 31.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 21,699 shares of company stock valued at $4,778,734. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 315,479 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $50,199,000 after acquiring an additional 9,402 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 11.3% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 94,081 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $18,051,000 after purchasing an additional 9,562 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 8.1% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 20,352 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,238,000 after purchasing an additional 1,528 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 72.7% in the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 43,307 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $8,310,000 after purchasing an additional 18,234 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

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.