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

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $271.17 and last traded at $268.1020, with a volume of 322898 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $253.10.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESE has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of ESCO Technologies to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, CJS Securities raised ESCO Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, ESCO Technologies presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $212.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $209.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.82 and a beta of 1.22.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.32. The business had revenue of $289.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $289.30 million. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 25.28% and a return on equity of 12.55%. The business’s revenue was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. ESCO Technologies has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.15 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 2.72%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Bryan H. Sayler sold 9,382 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $2,064,040.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 20,655 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,544,100. This represents a 31.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Christopher L. Tucker sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.15, for a total value of $1,100,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 20,121 shares in the company, valued at $4,429,638.15. This represents a 19.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 21,699 shares of company stock valued at $4,778,734 in the last ninety days. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 118.5% in the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 142 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3,140.0% during the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 162 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Company Profile

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.