SG Americas Securities LLC Invests $691,000 in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 5,295 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $691,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 180,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $18,544,000 after purchasing an additional 9,962 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth $918,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth $117,672,000. Crestline Management LP bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth $3,498,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.1% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 78,093 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $10,387,000 after purchasing an additional 5,184 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKSI has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $146.63.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’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 transaction, the director now directly owns 18,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,356,426.69. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $119.09 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $127.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $124.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 3.69 and a quick ratio of 2.34. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a one year low of $63.44 and a one year high of $147.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.99 billion, a PE ratio of -4.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 26th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 26th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -3.30%.

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.