Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Increases Stock Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 11.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,689 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,390 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,788,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 39,045 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted 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 valued at $282,102,000 after acquiring an additional 1,260,792 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $117,672,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 1.1% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 911,243 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $121,195,000 after purchasing an additional 10,079 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 5.1% during the first 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 hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Bank of America began coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $146.63.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,543.23. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total transaction of $213,678.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at $1,543.23. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKSI opened at $119.23 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $124.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $125.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a PE ratio of -4.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.65. 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $63.44 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.58 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.74%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -3.30%.

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.