MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Pathstone Holdings LLC

Pathstone Holdings LLC lowered its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 3.6% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 18,674 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 702 shares during the quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $2,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 196.9% in the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 53.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Key Financial Inc purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. BOKF NA acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 2.9 %

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $113.15 on Wednesday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.25 and a fifty-two week high of $147.40. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $107.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $118.34. The stock has a market cap of $7.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 249.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The firm had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at $2,079,805.98. This represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. 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 price objective on the stock. Citigroup lowered MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.09.

MKS Instruments 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.