ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $230.00 and last traded at $229.6250, with a volume of 113660 shares. The stock had previously closed at $223.06.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ESE has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, CJS Securities raised ESCO Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, ESCO Technologies currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Stock Up 2.9%

The company has a market cap of $5.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.88 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company’s 50-day moving average is $208.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $206.41.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.13 by $0.19. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 12.21% and a net margin of 25.76%.The business had revenue of $286.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $306.39 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 2.77%.

Insider Activity at ESCO Technologies

In other ESCO Technologies 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 sale, the director owned 6,519 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,450,673.07. The trade was a 36.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Bryan H. Sayler sold 401 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $88,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 20,254 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,455,880. This trade represents a 1.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 21,699 shares of company stock worth $4,778,734. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ESE. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Emerald Advisers LLC boosted its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 58.8% during the third quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 141,419 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $29,855,000 after acquiring an additional 52,379 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in 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 valued at $18,051,000 after acquiring an additional 9,562 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings 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 valued at $8,310,000 after acquiring an additional 18,234 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Castleark Management LLC purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth $5,771,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.