4,303 Shares in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Purchased by GSA Capital Partners LLP

GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 4,303 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $468,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Shellback Capital LP acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,541,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 219.5% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,445,000 after buying an additional 239,099 shares during the last quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth about $21,690,000. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter worth about $23,171,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 239.2% in the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 247,695 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $32,344,000 after buying an additional 174,675 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKS Instruments stock opened at $108.35 on Thursday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a one year low of $75.58 and a one year high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 3.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.29 billion, a PE ratio of 240.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.63. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $106.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.59.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The business had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. This represents a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value 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 trade was a 1.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on MKSI shares. Citigroup lowered MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.09.

About MKS Instruments

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.