MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC reduced its position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 29.8% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 3,016 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,278 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $394,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 3,574 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $475,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 62.6% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $277,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 23.0% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 937 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 0.4% in the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 46,864 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $6,119,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on MKSI. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut 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. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $142.00.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of MKS Instruments 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,325 shares of company stock valued at $276,435. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $110.31 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $114.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.58 and a quick ratio of 2.31. The company has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.64. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $63.44 and a 1-year high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The company had revenue of $887.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $866.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 26th were paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio 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.