Insider Selling: ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) Director Sells 216 Shares of Stock

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) Director Vinod Khilnani sold 216 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.04, for a total transaction of $48,392.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 23,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,257,770.72. This represents a 0.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

ESCO Technologies Stock Down 2.0%

NYSE ESE traded down $4.44 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $212.99. 281,226 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 178,023. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company has a market cap of $5.50 billion, a PE ratio of 47.97 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $215.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $199.35. ESCO Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.17 and a 52 week high of $229.46.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE:ESE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.13 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $286.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $306.39 million. ESCO Technologies had a return on equity of 11.19% and a net margin of 10.37%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. ESCO Technologies has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-7.800 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that ESCO Technologies Inc. will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ESCO Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. ESCO Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 2.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on ESE shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of ESCO Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded ESCO Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESCO Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its holdings in shares of ESCO Technologies by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 7,589 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,456,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ESCO Technologies by 9.7% in the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 677 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $132,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its stake in ESCO Technologies by 3.7% during the third quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 1,678 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $354,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 19.4% during the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 418 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of ESCO Technologies by 14.7% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 545 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.70% of the company’s stock.

ESCO Technologies Company 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.