Loomis Sayles & Co. L P Raises Stock Holdings in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 438,536 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,894 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P owned approximately 1.70% of ESCO Technologies worth $56,563,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Select Equity Group L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 277.5% in the 2nd quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 395,460 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $41,539,000 after purchasing an additional 290,711 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. bought a new position in ESCO Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $15,632,000. F M Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies during the second quarter worth approximately $9,455,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 35.5% during the 2nd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 185,850 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $19,522,000 after purchasing an additional 48,693 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 18.3% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 283,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $29,754,000 after buying an additional 43,907 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESCO Technologies Price Performance

Shares of ESE stock opened at $151.69 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The stock has a market cap of $3.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.50 and a beta of 1.08. The business’s fifty day moving average is $130.97 and its 200 day moving average is $118.98. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $96.69 and a twelve month high of $154.00.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 8.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research report on Friday, November 15th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on shares of ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th.

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.