Brokerages Set ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) PT at $187.50

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) has received an average rating of “Buy” from the five analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $187.50.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ESE. Weiss Ratings downgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. CJS Securities raised shares of ESCO Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Robert J. Phillippy sold 3,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.53, for a total transaction of $823,361.00. Following the sale, the director owned 6,519 shares in the company, valued at $1,450,673.07. This represents a 36.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Vinod M. Khilnani sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.99, for a total value of $653,970.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 20,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,461,819.32. The trade was a 12.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 21,699 shares of company stock worth $4,778,734. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of ESCO Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 60.5% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 7,683 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,223,000 after acquiring an additional 2,896 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,399 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,450,000 after purchasing an additional 664 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter worth about $228,000. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter worth approximately $261,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 19.8% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 82,500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $13,127,000 after buying an additional 13,648 shares during the period. 95.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:ESE opened at $218.83 on Monday. ESCO Technologies has a 12 month low of $128.59 and a 12 month high of $229.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $207.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $204.64. The firm has a market cap of $5.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.95 and a beta of 1.23.

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

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2.77%.

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.