MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Acquired by Dundas Partners LLP

Dundas Partners LLP increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 10.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,198 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the quarter. Dundas Partners LLP’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $229,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position 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 worth $45,000 after buying an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 58.0% in 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 buying an additional 159 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at about $57,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $84.89 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $80.36 and a 12-month high of $147.40. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $106.74 and its 200-day moving average is $108.43. The company has a market capitalization of $5.72 billion, a PE ratio of 30.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a quick ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 3.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. Equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is presently 31.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 8,575 shares of company stock valued at $896,107 over the last 90 days. 0.46% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Benchmark decreased their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC dropped their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Three 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.08.

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.