MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Fox Run Management L.L.C.

Fox Run Management L.L.C. lessened its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 47.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,192 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 6,559 shares during the quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $751,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position 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 valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the sale, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $88.17 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The company has a market cap of $5.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $102.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $106.16. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.37 and a 1-year high of $147.40.

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

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors 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 1.00%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on MKSI. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup upgraded MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Three equities 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, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Company 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.