ESCO Technologies Inc. $ESE Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 8.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 636,505 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 58,719 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $179,072,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Horizon Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 59.4% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 11,821 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $2,309,000 after purchasing an additional 4,406 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 14.6% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 28,760 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $5,619,000 after purchasing an additional 3,674 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 3.1% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 149,233 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $41,990,000 after purchasing an additional 4,527 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $1,171,000. Finally, Freemont Management S.A. acquired a new position in ESCO Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $2,911,000. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on ESE. Wall Street Zen downgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on ESCO Technologies in a report on Monday, June 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $420.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies in a report on Friday, April 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $410.00.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE ESE opened at $327.56 on Friday. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $174.92 and a 52-week high of $362.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $320.19 and a 200-day moving average of $288.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a PE ratio of 27.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $309.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $307.88 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 24.69%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 33.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.35 EPS. ESCO Technologies has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.150 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-8.250 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 8.2 EPS for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 2.69%.

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.