MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Acquired by Ameriprise Financial Inc.

Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 7.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 190,128 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,942 shares during the quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. owned 0.28% of MKS Instruments worth $19,847,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during 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 purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position 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 valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares during the period. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 24,900.0% in the fourth quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 498 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was 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 directly 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MKSI. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised MKS Instruments from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Benchmark reduced their price objective on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $134.33.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

NASDAQ MKSI traded down $1.88 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $87.69. 90,818 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,050,680. The company has a market capitalization of $5.91 billion, a PE ratio of 31.38, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.84 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The firm's 50-day moving average is $76.76 and its 200-day moving average is $96.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.29. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. The business had revenue of $936.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $913.59 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.18 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 27th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.27%.

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.