Millennium Management LLC Acquires 239,099 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 219.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 239,099 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC owned about 0.52% of MKS Instruments worth $45,445,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new position in MKS Instruments in the first quarter valued at about $918,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.1% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 78,093 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $10,387,000 after purchasing an additional 5,184 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,892,941 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $709,077,000 after purchasing an additional 39,045 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 29.5% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 111,923 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $14,886,000 after purchasing an additional 25,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.6% during the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 141,187 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $18,436,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on MKSI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 target price on the stock. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $142.00.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI opened at $104.52 on Wednesday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $63.44 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a current ratio of 3.58. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $113.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.89. The firm has a market cap of $7.01 billion, a PE ratio of -3.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.64.

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

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is -3.30%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’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 directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the 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 sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,325 shares of company stock valued at $276,435 over the last ninety days. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.