Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 2,394 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 8.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 25,400 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 2,394 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $3,378,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.9% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 3,574 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $475,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,734 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $630,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth $25,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth $25,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 29,837 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $3,069,000 after buying an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKS Instruments stock opened at $114.75 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $131.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $124.40. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $63.44 and a fifty-two week high of $147.40. The company has a quick ratio of 2.34, a current ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $868.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $848.94 million. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 48.24% and a positive return on equity of 13.90%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.48 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 28th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 24th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently -3.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on MKSI. Bank of America began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, May 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $147.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total transaction of $35,587.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 18,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,356,426.69. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by 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.