26,415 Shares in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Bought by Edgestream Partners L.P.

Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 26,415 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,872,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Shellback Capital LP bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $34,541,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 219.5% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,445,000 after acquiring an additional 239,099 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 3rd quarter worth $21,690,000. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $23,171,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 239.2% during the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 247,695 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $32,344,000 after acquiring an additional 174,675 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MKSI. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th. 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 report on Monday, September 16th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price target for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.09.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

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

MKS Instruments Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of MKS Instruments stock opened at $113.64 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $107.38 and its 200-day moving average is $118.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.65 billion, a PE ratio of 252.53, 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $80.84 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 195.56%.

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.