MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Sells $836,240.00 in Stock

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 4.4 %

Shares of MKSI opened at $103.09 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $110.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $110.05. The company has a market capitalization of $6.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.66. 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $97.54 and a 1-year high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. Sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Benchmark cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by 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.