MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Acquired by Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 48.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,969 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,299 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $414,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 53.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 58.0% in the fourth 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, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at about $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI stock opened at $112.98 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 251.07, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $111.80 and a 200-day moving average of $111.88. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $97.54 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 195.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKSI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.75.

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.