MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stake Lessened by Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC

Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC lessened its stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 3.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,240 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 410 shares during the period. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,331,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MKSI. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 23.0% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 937 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth $691,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 1.0% in the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,685 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $2,570,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth $249,000. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth $3,542,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $112.55 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $90.90 and a fifty-two week high of $147.40. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $108.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $116.95. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market cap of $7.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 250.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. MKS Instruments’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 195.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on MKSI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, November 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.42.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’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 sale, the director now owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 825 shares of company stock worth $92,853. 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.