ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE Shares Sold by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 43.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,485 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,927 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $699,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Horizon Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 59.4% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 11,821 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,309,000 after acquiring an additional 4,406 shares during the period. UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 14.6% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 28,760 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $5,619,000 after purchasing an additional 3,674 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,171,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 59.4% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 86,026 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $18,161,000 after purchasing an additional 32,069 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Freemont Management S.A. purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,911,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 2.7%

NYSE:ESE opened at $340.57 on Thursday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $174.92 and a 12-month high of $362.15. The firm has a market cap of $8.82 billion, a PE ratio of 28.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $315.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $273.85.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $309.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $307.88 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 24.69%.ESCO Technologies’s revenue was up 33.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.35 EPS. ESCO Technologies has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.150 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-8.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 2.69%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on ESCO Technologies in a research note on Monday, June 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $420.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $410.00.

About ESCO Technologies

ESCO Technologies Inc is a diversified manufacturer of engineered products and systems designed to meet customers’ critical performance requirements in the test, measurement, control, and filtration of data, fluids, and gases. The company serves a wide range of end markets, including commercial aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and communication network sectors. ESCO’s solutions are tailored to environments where reliability, precision and regulatory compliance are paramount.

Operating through multiple business segments, ESCO Technologies delivers test and measurement instruments such as RF and microwave components, signal distribution systems, and integrated test enclosures that support defense and aerospace programs.