MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Fisher Asset Management LLC

Fisher Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 5.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 455,665 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 28,793 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $46,874,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mendota Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $56,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 22.1% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 928 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth $138,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKS Instruments stock opened at $122.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.18 and a quick ratio of 2.01. The company has a market cap of $8.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 1.69. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $63.44 and a fifty-two week high of $135.51. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $123.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.89.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.28. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 9.95% and a negative net margin of 50.80%. The company had revenue of $893.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $845.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.00 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.72%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -3.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MKSI shares. Benchmark lifted their target price on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 8th. StockNews.com raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price objective on MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.75.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total transaction of $4,051,597.20. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 1 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $123.28. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total transaction of $4,051,597.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 1 shares in the company, valued at $123.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total value of $910,737.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 42,999 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,284,147.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 50,776 shares of company stock valued at $6,226,307 over the last three months. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.