Fifth Third Bancorp Sells 2,066 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Fifth Third Bancorp cut its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 43.6% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,668 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 2,066 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $348,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 3,574 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 6.3% during the first quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $277,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 23.0% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 937 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth $25,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 4.1 %

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $121.68 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 3.69 and a quick ratio of 2.34. The firm has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a PE ratio of -4.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a 50-day moving average of $125.82 and a 200 day moving average of $125.09. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $63.44 and a 1-year high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 48.24% and a positive return on equity of 13.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -3.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKSI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target 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. Bank of America began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $146.63.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total value of $30,865.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at $1,300,404.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total transaction of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total value of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 2,325 shares of company stock valued at $280,131 over the last quarter. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.