Valmark Advisers Inc. Sells 373 Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Valmark Advisers Inc. decreased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 5.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,406 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 373 shares during the period. Valmark Advisers Inc.’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $1,019,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 4.8% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,047 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $326,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. EWA LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter valued at $219,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in ESCO Technologies by 88.1% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 666 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $106,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter valued at $289,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the first quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of ESCO Technologies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of ESE opened at $187.72 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.17 and a beta of 1.22. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $101.42 and a 12-month high of $190.63. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $173.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $156.35.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.10. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 11.01% and a return on equity of 10.56%. The company had revenue of $265.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.96 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.09 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.02%.

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.