MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC lessened its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 45.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,880 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 2,415 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $313,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,892,941 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $709,077,000 after purchasing an additional 39,045 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 143.1% in the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,141,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $282,102,000 after acquiring an additional 1,260,792 shares during the period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 620,063 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $82,468,000 after acquiring an additional 30,348 shares during the last quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC lifted its position in MKS Instruments by 41.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC now owns 432,858 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $56,523,000 after acquiring an additional 126,200 shares during the period. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 14.0% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 418,894 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $54,699,000 after purchasing an additional 51,540 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.09.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of MKSI opened at $102.70 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.85, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.63. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $63.44 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $111.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.97. 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 released its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. Analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is -3.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at $1,543.23. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,543.23. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 2,575 shares of company stock worth $303,660. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Company 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.