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ESCO TechnologiesESE -1.09%82 Debt-to-Equity is 0.12 as of Mar. 2026, which is 33% below its 10-year median of 0.18. GuruFocus rates ESE with a GF Score™ of 82/100 and a GF Value™ of $188.17 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,217 Hardware companies, ESCO Technologies ranks better than 69.37% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for ESCO Technologies's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
ESE'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.04 Med: 0.18 Max: 0.43
Current: 0.12
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of ESCO Technologies was 0.43. The lowest was 0.04. And the median was 0.18.
ESE's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 69.37% of 2217
companies
in the Hardware industry
Industry Median: 0.27
vs ESE: 0.12
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
ESCO Technologies Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
ESCO Technologies Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for ESCO Technologies's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Scientific & Technical Instruments subindustry, ESCO Technologies's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
ESCO Technologies Debt-to-Equity vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, ESCO Technologies's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where ESCO Technologies's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
ESCO Technologies (ESE) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.12 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on ESCO Technologies and its competitors. This is 33% below median its historical median of 0.18. Over the past decade, ESCO Technologies' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.04 to 0.43. According to the industry distribution chart, ESCO Technologies ranks #679 out of 2217 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 30.6%.
Is ESCO Technologies' Debt-to-Equity too high?
ESCO Technologies' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.12 is 33% below median its 10-year median of 0.18. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.04 to a high of 0.43. The Hardware industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.27. ESCO Technologies' value of 0.12 is 55.6% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, ESCO Technologies ranks #679 out of 2217 companies in the Hardware industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, ESCO Technologies has a GF Score™ of 82/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does ESCO Technologies' Debt-to-Equity compare to CGNX and ST?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, ESCO Technologies ranks #679 out of 2217 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This puts ESCO Technologies in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.27. ESCO Technologies' value of 0.12 is 55.6% below this benchmark. Historically, ESCO Technologies' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.04 to 0.43 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.18 vs. the industry median of 0.27, ESCO Technologies has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Hardware company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Hardware companies is 0.27, based on 2,217 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. ESCO Technologies's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.12 is 55.6% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on ESCO Technologies and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.27 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. ESCO Technologies's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.12, which is 33% below median its own 10-year median of 0.18. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is ESCO Technologies stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, ESCO Technologies (ESE) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $188.17, compared to a current price of $324.20 — trading 72.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.12, which is 33% below median its 10-year median of 0.18 and 55.6% below the Hardware industry median of 0.27. ESCO Technologies' overall GF Score™ is 82/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For ESCO Technologies (ESE), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.12 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is ESCO Technologies (ESE) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, ESCO Technologies stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $324.20 is trading 72.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $188.17.
GuruFocus considers ESCO Technologies to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for ESE:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.12 (33% below median its 10-year median of 0.18)
GF Value™: $188.17 vs. price of $324.20 (72.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 55.6% below the Hardware median (#679 of 2217)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ESE stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
ESCO Technologies Inc sells engineered products and systems for utility, industrial, aerospace, and commercial applications. The firm operates in three segments: Aerospace & Defense (A&D), Utility Solutions Group (USG), and RF Test & Measurement (Test). The Aerospace and Defense segment designs and manufactures specialty filtration and naval products. The USG segment provides diagnostic testing solutions. The Test segment provides its customers with the ability to identify, measure, and contain magnetic, electromagnetic, and acoustic energy.
82GF Score
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