Sei Investments Co. Grows Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 32.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 151,025 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 36,721 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $15,766,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 1.3% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,729 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $949,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 663,414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $72,120,000 after purchasing an additional 45,862 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at approximately $827,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth approximately $291,000. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund grew its position in MKS Instruments by 174.7% in the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 75,000 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $8,153,000 after buying an additional 47,700 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,273,577.01. The trade was a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on MKSI. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup upgraded shares of 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Benchmark reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKS Instruments stock opened at $81.59 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a PE ratio of 29.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.37 and a 52 week high of $147.40. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $99.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $105.49. 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 net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. On average, equities research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 31.43%.

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.