Legato Capital Management LLC Has $1.91 Million Stake in ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE)

Legato Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,329 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 785 shares during the quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of ESCO Technologies worth $1,909,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ESE. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in ESCO Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 20.9% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 411 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 43.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 469 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 17.9% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 990 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $128,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its position in ESCO Technologies by 67.5% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $156,000 after acquiring an additional 471 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Trading Up 1.6 %

ESE opened at $165.19 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $136.27 and its 200-day moving average is $130.27. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $96.69 and a 1-year high of $166.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.78 and a beta of 1.13.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.34. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 9.99%. Equities research analysts predict that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ESE. StockNews.com raised shares of ESCO Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 20th. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of ESCO Technologies from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday.

About ESCO Technologies

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.