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 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 sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $86.06 on Thursday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.11 and a 1-year high of $147.40. The company has a market capitalization of $5.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.74, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.66. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $108.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $109.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. 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 research report on Friday, February 14th. Benchmark decreased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price 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. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 277.0% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 856 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 22.5% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,718 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 13,537.3% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 10,228 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,112,000 after buying an additional 10,153 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 59.3% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,853 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $528,000 after buying an additional 1,807 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its position in MKS Instruments by 14.6% during the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 7,816 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $849,000 after buying an additional 995 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is 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.