Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Purchases 11,871 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,022,943 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,871 shares during the period. ESCO Technologies makes up approximately 1.8% of Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $119,715,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Point72 Middle East FZE purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in ESCO Technologies during the third quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 25.6% during the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 917 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ESE shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 17th. Sidoti downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th.

Insider Transactions at ESCO Technologies

In related news, Director Leon J. Olivier sold 900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.26, for a total transaction of $90,234.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 2.4 %

ESE traded down $2.50 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $102.05. The stock had a trading volume of 64,256 shares, compared to its average volume of 128,190. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $89.77 and a twelve month high of $118.60. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $102.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.98. The company has a market capitalization of $2.63 billion, a PE ratio of 28.17 and a beta of 1.15.

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). ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 8.59% and a net margin of 9.60%. The company had revenue of $218.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $221.44 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.60 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.2 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.31%. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 8.89%.

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.