ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 7.900-8.15 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 7.690. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.3 billion-$1.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.3 billion. ESCO Technologies also updated its Q2 2026 guidance to 1.750-1.850 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, December 6th. CJS Securities upgraded shares of ESCO Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded ESCO Technologies to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Two 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. According to MarketBeat.com, ESCO Technologies has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $187.50.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 4.4%

NYSE ESE traded up $10.53 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $248.93. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 161,243 shares, compared to its average volume of 182,256. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $210.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $207.96. ESCO Technologies has a 52-week low of $134.78 and a 52-week high of $262.07. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $6.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.54 and a beta of 1.22.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.32. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 12.21% and a net margin of 25.76%.The firm had revenue of $289.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $289.30 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.92 EPS. ESCO Technologies’s quarterly revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies will post 5.65 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 2.77%.

Insider Activity at ESCO Technologies

In other ESCO Technologies news, Director Vinod M. Khilnani sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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. This represents a 12.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert J. Phillippy sold 3,700 shares of ESCO Technologies 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,519 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,450,673.07. This trade represents a 36.21% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 21,699 shares of company stock valued at $4,778,734 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting ESCO Technologies

Here are the key news stories impacting ESCO Technologies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record orders and strong sales — Entered orders jumped ~143% to $557M and Q1 sales rose ~35% to ~$290M, signaling stronger demand and backlog that supports future revenue. ESCO Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings beat and margin strength — Adjusted EPS $1.64 vs. $1.32 consensus; revenue roughly in line with estimates and net margin/ROE remain healthy, supporting the profit narrative. ESCO Technologies Inc (ESE) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Raised guidance — FY 2026 EPS guidance was lifted to $7.90–$8.15 (above consensus) and Q2 guidance set at $1.75–$1.85, which validates management’s outlook for continued margin and revenue expansion. Esco Technologies Raises Outlook After Strong First Quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend declared — Company announced a $0.08 quarterly dividend (annualized yield roughly 0.1%), a modest return of capital but not a material income driver. (Company announcement)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials and call transcripts available — Management commentary and slides are posted (useful for digging into segment drivers, margins, and backlog conversion timelines). ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and liquidity considerations — stock is trading near its 52-week high with a mid-teens P/E (~21.7) and recent volume below average, which could constrain near-term upside or increase volatility on any weaker forward commentary.

Institutional Trading of ESCO Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 23,300.0% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 234 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies during the third quarter worth $63,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 677 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $132,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth $200,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.