Eagle Asset Management Inc. Grows Stock Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Eagle Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 21.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 91,133 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 16,087 shares during the quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. owned 0.14% of MKS Instruments worth $10,598,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 663,414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $72,120,000 after acquiring an additional 45,862 shares in the last quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter worth $868,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 3rd quarter valued at $361,000. Hilton Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,852,000. Finally, Commerce Bank lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 18.8% during the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 34,189 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,717,000 after buying an additional 5,413 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $114.92 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 255.38, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.63. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.25 and a 1-year high of $147.40. The business’s 50 day moving average is $107.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $118.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 2.21.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 195.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on MKSI. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, November 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Citigroup cut shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.09.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction 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 trade was a 1.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. This represents a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About MKS Instruments

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.