The story behind St. Louis' hottest stock

ESCO Technologies has grown 240% in five years — but most St. Louisans have never heard of it.Business reporter Nathan Rubbelke joins host Erik Siemers to break down the surprising rise of ESCO Technologies, a St. Louis-based public company whose stock has surged from roughly $95 to over $330 a share in five years. With $1 billion in annual revenue and ambitions to double that by 2027, ESCO is drawing Wall Street attention it rarely sought before.Ribelky explains how CEO Brian Saylor — a 30-year company veteran — has transformed ESCO from a quiet holding company into a high-growth enterprise by doubling down on three sectors: aerospace and defense (including major U.S. Navy submarine contracts), utilities infrastructure, and radio frequency testing. His boldest moves: two record-breaking acquisitions — a $550 million maritime defense deal and a $2.3 billion utility purchase he'd been eyeing for a decade.Then, Jed Ellerbroek of Argent Capital Management puts ESCO's rise in broader context, explaining why St. Louis public companies are lagging national indexes — and what it would take for the region to close the gap.LINKS:https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/07/14/st-louis-stock-index-lags-national-averages-tech.html https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/07/14/esco-technologies-navy-defense-aerospace-stock.html