MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by AQR Capital Management LLC

AQR Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 56.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 58,808 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 76,124 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned about 0.09% of MKS Instruments worth $6,139,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 9,748 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,018,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,143 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $224,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 18,700 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,952,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 2,068 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $216,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in 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 during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI traded up $1.90 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $92.65. 290,015 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,073,577. The company has a quick ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 3.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $75.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $97.07. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.84 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a market cap of $6.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80.

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

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, 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 value of $25,426.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This trade represents a 1.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MKSI shares. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Benchmark decreased their price target on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $135.17.

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.