First National Advisers LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

First National Advisers LLC trimmed its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 30.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 3,667 shares during the quarter. First National Advisers LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $880,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in MKS Instruments by 68.6% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter valued at about $50,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 6.3 %

MKSI opened at $86.32 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $5.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.76. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.37 and a 52 week high of $147.40. The business’s 50 day moving average is $104.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.03. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at $1,607,324.64. This trade represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MKSI shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Benchmark cut their target price on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Citigroup raised 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.08.

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.