Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Esco Technologies Inc (ESE)

427 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in ESE. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +43
Streak
2Q ▲
Buyers last Q
55%

Smart Money Signals — ESE

Based on 428 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added ESE than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
428 hedge funds hold ESE right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
🚀

Fast accumulation — +31% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
+101 new funds entered over the past year (+31% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 55% buying

233 buying194 selling
Last quarter: 233 funds bought or added vs 194 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
📈

More new buyers each quarter (+17 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new ESE position: 64 → 46 → 75 → 92. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔒

50% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 50% conviction (2yr+) ■ 25% medium ■ 25% new
213 out of 428 hedge funds have held ESE for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💰

Price up while funds trimmed (+36% value, -10% shares)

Value
+35%
Shares
-10%
Last quarter: total value of institutional ESE holdings rose +36% even though funds reduced share count by 10%. The stock price increased enough to offset the selling. Institutions are quietly trimming into price strength — watch for rotation.
🚀

Acceleration phase — new buyers rushing in

74 → 64 → 46 → 75 → 92 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 64 → 46 → 75 → 92. The pace of institutional discovery is accelerating sharply. This is the 'hot idea' phase — the thesis is being passed from fund to fund. You are not late — the accumulation wave is still building.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 57% veterans vs 32% newcomers

■ 57% veterans ■ 10% 1-2yr ■ 32% new
Entry-cohort mix of 435 holders: 250 (57%) are 2+ year veterans, 44 entered 1–2 years ago, and 141 (32%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
✅

Strong quality — 38% AUM from major funds

38% from top-100 AUM funds
56 of 428 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 38% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
4.0
out of 10
Moderate Exit Risk
Exit risk score 4.0/10 — some crowding factors present, but no critical concentration. Watch ownership trend over the next 1–2 quarters for direction.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — ESE

In 2026 Q1, 233 hedge funds were net buyers of ESE (92 opened a new position, 141 added to an existing one), while 194 reduced or exited (145 trimmed, 49 sold completely) — a 55% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. Net buying has persisted for two consecutive quarters, a positive momentum signal. 38% of total institutional value in ESE is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +43 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 428.

Hedge Fund Ownership: ESE

How many hedge funds hold ESE — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of ESE vs. share price

Market Analysis: ESE

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: ESE

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Esco Technologies Inc (ESE) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much ESE has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLK) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 78d ago
ESE
+18.6%
XLK
+39.8%

ESE outperformed XLK by -21.2% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 33d ago
ESE
+15.1%
XLK
+5.4%

Since the filing became public, ESE outperformed XLK by +9.7% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

34 top-rated funds 2 high-conviction
Consensus
6.7
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
2.4
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: ESE
427 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in ESE. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 427 385 10.91%
13F Shares 25M 28M -10.42%
Total Value $6.68B $4.92B 35.63%
New Positions 92 75 +17
Increased Positions 141 138 +3
Closed Positions 50 41 +9
Reduced Positions 142 126 +16
Total Calls 5 1 400.0%
Total Puts 2 0 100%
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.4 0.0 Bullish

Statistics: ESE

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Valuation Measures Data as of: --

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PEG Ratio (5yr expected) --
Price/Sales (ttm) --
Price/Book (mrq) --
Enterprise Value/Revenue --
Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

Profitability
Profit Margin --
Return on Assets (ttm) --
Return on Equity (ttm) --
Income Statement & Cash Flow
Revenue (ttm) --
Net Income Avi to Common (ttm) --
Diluted EPS (ttm) --
Total Cash (mrq) --
Total Debt/Equity (mrq) --
Levered Free Cash Flow (ttm) --

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

427 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in ESE. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 ESE holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Congruence Capital, LLC 7.90% 83,744 $23.6M
2 Two Creeks Capital Management, LP 5.23% 180,938 $50.9M
3 Tributary Capital Management, LLC 3.85% 140,896 $39.6M
4 Geneva Capital Management LLC 3.75% 626,496 $176.3M
5 Conestoga Capital Advisors, LLC 3.04% 541,781 $152.4M
6 Hawk Ridge Capital Management LP 1.72% 168,600 $47.4M
7 Emerald Advisers, LLC 1.45% 162,653 $45.8M
8 Globeflex Capital L P 1.37% 32,281 $9.1M
9 Pier Capital, LLC 1.37% 29,469 $8.3M
10 Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust 1.34% 98,502 $27.7M
11 GHP Investment Advisors, Inc. 1.09% 93,771 $26.4M
12 Royce & Associates LP 0.95% 341,988 $96.2M
13 Future Fund LLC 0.92% 9,347 $2.6M
14 Shaker Investments LLC/Oh 0.88% 6,864 $1.9M
15 Illumine Investment Management, LLC 0.87% 4,040 $1.1M
16 Hood River Capital Management LLC 0.86% 304,140 $85.6M
17 Emerald Investment Advisers, LLC 0.84% 33,095 $9.3M
18 Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC 0.83% 406,260 $114.3M
19 Capital CS Group, LLC 0.81% 1,399 $394K
20 Qp Wealth Management, LLC 0.71% 1,473 $414K
21 Enhancing Capital LLC 0.69% 3,293 $927K
22 Legacy Bridge, LLC 0.61% 5,688 $1.6M
23 Peregrine Capital Management LLC 0.60% 57,315 $16.1M
24 Dean Capital Management 0.60% 5,120 $1.4M
25 American Capital Management Inc 0.58% 38,414 $10.8M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Esco Technologies Inc (ESE)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for ESE?

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row: For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added ESE than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for ESE?

Slight buying edge — 55% buying: Last quarter: 233 funds bought or added vs 194 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for ESE holders?

Strong quality — 38% AUM from major funds: 56 of 428 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 38% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held ESE?

50% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 213 out of 428 hedge funds have held ESE for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Esco Technologies Inc (ESE) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, ESE has moved +15.1% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +5.4% for the XLK sector ETF — an outperformance of +9.7%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), ESE has gained +18.6% vs +39.8% for XLK. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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