MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Mutual of America Capital Management LLC

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC lessened its position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 51,775 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,282 shares during the quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC owned about 0.08% of MKS Instruments worth $6,761,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 0.6% in 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 boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 143.1% during the first 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 acquiring an additional 1,260,792 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at about $117,672,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 911,243 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $121,195,000 after acquiring an additional 10,079 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP lifted 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 purchasing an additional 30,348 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI opened at $114.10 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $117.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $123.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.58 and a quick ratio of 2.31. 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 $7.65 billion, a PE ratio of -4.28, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.64.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.51. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $866.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast 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. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is -3.30%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup lowered MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Monday. 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 report on Friday, August 9th. KeyCorp lifted 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They set 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 issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $142.00.

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.