Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH Has $19.83 Million Stock Position in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lessened its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 19.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 148,880 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 36,130 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in ESCO Technologies were worth $19,832,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ESE. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in ESCO Technologies by 76.2% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 56,216 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $5,905,000 after acquiring an additional 24,305 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of ESCO Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $205,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its stake in shares of ESCO Technologies by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 56,669 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $5,953,000 after buying an additional 3,782 shares during the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 283.5% during the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 16,309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,713,000 after buying an additional 12,056 shares during the period. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its stake in ESCO Technologies by 24.1% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 49,723 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $5,223,000 after buying an additional 9,654 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ESE. Stephens boosted their price objective on ESCO Technologies from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of ESE opened at $134.53 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $96.69 and a 12 month high of $154.00. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $139.23 and its 200-day moving average is $128.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.47 billion, a PE ratio of 34.14 and a beta of 1.13.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.24%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.12%.

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.