Elizabeth Mora Sells 275 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $116.83 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 2.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.86 billion, a PE ratio of 259.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.65. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $107.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $117.83. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1 year low of $80.84 and a 1 year high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 195.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup cut shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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 research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.09.

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 196.9% during the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 191 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 53.7% in 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 purchasing an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Key Financial Inc acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. BOKF NA acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.