ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Shares of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $309.12 and last traded at $304.7590, with a volume of 73054 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $291.33.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of ESCO Technologies from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $350.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings cut shares of ESCO Technologies from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. CJS Securities raised shares of ESCO Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of ESCO Technologies to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, ESCO Technologies presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $275.00.

ESCO Technologies Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $7.91 billion, a PE ratio of 26.05, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.33. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $269.22 and its 200-day moving average is $231.72.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.32. ESCO Technologies had a net margin of 25.28% and a return on equity of 12.55%. The company had revenue of $289.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $289.30 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. ESCO Technologies’s revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. ESCO Technologies has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.15 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s payout ratio is presently 2.72%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 3,397 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 844 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $165,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 677 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 1,678 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $354,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its holdings in ESCO Technologies by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 3,774 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $737,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. 95.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ESCO Technologies Company Profile

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.