Headlands Technologies LLC Buys 1,995 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Headlands Technologies LLC raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 16.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,014 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,995 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $97,494,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at about $85,451,000. Barclays PLC grew its position in MKS Instruments by 108.6% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,019,134 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $110,789,000 after acquiring an additional 530,620 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,391,000 after acquiring an additional 292,226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,312,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $80.27 on Wednesday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a one year low of $76.37 and a one year high of $147.40. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $97.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The company has a market cap of $5.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.67, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. Analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.10%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MKSI. Citigroup upgraded MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.08.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,607,324.64. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 60,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. The trade was a 11.76 % 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.

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.