Swiss National Bank Cuts Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Swiss National Bank cut its stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 131,300 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 600 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $14,274,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in MKS Instruments by 196.9% in the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 53.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. Key Financial Inc purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at about $39,000. BOKF NA purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Quarry LP purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at about $39,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on MKSI shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price target for the company. Mizuho upgraded shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target 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 target on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price objective for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.09.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI stock opened at $114.92 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.25 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The company has a market cap of $7.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 255.38, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $107.01 and a 200 day moving average of $118.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 2.21.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The company had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. MKS Instruments’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This represents a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. This trade represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About MKS Instruments

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.