969 Shares in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Acquired by 1620 Investment Advisors Inc.

1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 969 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $127,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth $25,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $116.87 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 3.69. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a one year low of $63.44 and a one year high of $147.40. The company’s 50-day moving average is $126.06 and its 200 day moving average is $124.89.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 48.24% and a positive return on equity of 13.90%. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently -3.30%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s 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 sale, 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 is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total transaction of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,325 shares of company stock valued at $280,131 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKSI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $146.63.

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.