Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Sells 1,598 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 8.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,892 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,598 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,868,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Aigen Investment Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 705.3% during the 3rd quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 12,547 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,364,000 after acquiring an additional 10,989 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at about $1,599,000. Citigroup Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.3% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 444,333 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $48,303,000 after purchasing an additional 30,216 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 10.4% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,525,037 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $265,874,000 after buying an additional 237,979 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,391,000 after buying an additional 292,226 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $156.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Four 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.75.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at $2,002,707.19. This represents a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,146,048.40. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 1.8 %

MKS Instruments stock opened at $117.50 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The company has a market capitalization of $7.91 billion, a PE ratio of 261.11, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.66. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $111.81 and its 200 day moving average is $112.38. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $97.54 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is 195.56%.

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.