MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Elizabeth Mora Sells 275 Shares

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 2.3 %

NASDAQ:MKSI traded up $1.96 on Tuesday, reaching $87.59. 978,469 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 946,625. The company has a quick ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 3.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.66. The business has a fifty day moving average of $108.52 and a 200-day moving average of $109.31. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.11 and a 52-week high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. As a group, analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark dropped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $50,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.