Federated Hermes Inc. Sells 427 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Federated Hermes Inc. lowered its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 5.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,953 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 427 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,039,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 143.1% during the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,141,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $282,102,000 after buying an additional 1,260,792 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at $117,672,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP bought a new position in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at about $60,664,000. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth about $23,171,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 239.2% in the second quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 247,695 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $32,344,000 after purchasing an additional 174,675 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MKSI. Citigroup lowered shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Bank of America initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $142.00.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI stock opened at $109.88 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $116.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $123.78. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1 year low of $63.44 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The stock has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a PE ratio of -4.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a current ratio of 3.58, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The business had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 0.25%. MKS Instruments’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is -3.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,325 shares of company stock worth $276,435. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Profile

MKS Instruments, Inc provides foundational technology solutions to semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications in the United States, Germany, China, South Korea, and internationally. It operates through Vacuum Solutions Division (VSD), Photonics Solutions Division (PSD), and Material Solutions Division (MSD) segments.