Capital International Investors Has $323.37 Million Stock Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Capital International Investors cut its stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,097,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 62,713 shares during the period. Capital International Investors owned about 4.60% of MKS Instruments worth $323,366,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during 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 in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $63.72 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $83.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $100.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 3.19. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.84 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The stock has a market cap of $4.30 billion, a PE ratio of 22.76, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.81.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. As a group, analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.38%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on MKSI. Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.08.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. The trade was 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 hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the sale, 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. 0.51% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.