Artemis Investment Management LLP Acquires 46,859 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Artemis Investment Management LLP raised its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 23.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 246,377 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 46,859 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $25,719,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,391,000 after purchasing an additional 292,226 shares during the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth about $295,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at about $12,058,000. Fulton Bank N.A. raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 15.7% in the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 4,248 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $443,000 after acquiring an additional 578 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its position in MKS Instruments by 10.4% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,525,037 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $265,874,000 after acquiring an additional 237,979 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $120.11 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $110.92 and its 200-day moving average is $113.10. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $97.54 and a 1-year high of $147.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market cap of $8.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 266.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.66.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 posted $1.46 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.73%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MKSI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, November 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, 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. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.75.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value of $34,440.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at $1,146,048.40. This represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

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.