Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Takes $1.78 Million Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 17,015 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,776,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the third quarter valued at $50,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth $57,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 63.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 572 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 0.7 %

MKSI stock opened at $91.82 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $90.07 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $108.93 and its 200 day moving average is $109.63. The company has a market capitalization of $6.18 billion, a PE ratio of 32.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 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 (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. On average, research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 31.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on MKSI. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Benchmark dropped their target price on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on 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 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, 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 directly owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at $6,273,577.01. This represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 8,575 shares of company stock valued at $901,868. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MKS Instruments 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.