Channing Capital Management LLC Takes $44.32 Million Position in MKS Inc. $MKSI

Key Points

• Channing Capital Management LLC acquired 552,960 shares in MKS Inc., valued at approximately $44.32 million, increasing its stake to 0.82% of the company.
• MKS reported a quarterly EPS of $1.77, surpassing analysts' expectations and showing a 9.7% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• Insider transactions were noted, including Director Jacqueline F. Moloney selling 300 shares, reflecting a 2.47% decrease in her holdings.

Channing Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 552,960 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $44,320,000. Channing Capital Management LLC owned 0.82% of MKS as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Optimum Investment Advisors raised its position in MKS by 66.7% during the first quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 89.3% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 581 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the period. Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 1,330.9% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 787 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 1,168.3% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 799 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 736 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 79.2% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 828 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 366 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Stock Up 1.2%

MKSI stock traded up $1.32 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $107.54. The stock had a trading volume of 216,799 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,180,025. The company has a current ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. MKS Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.84 and a 1-year high of $125.33. The company has a fifty day moving average of $100.18 and a 200 day moving average of $89.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.30, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.86.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.16. MKS had a return on equity of 20.65% and a net margin of 7.11%.The company had revenue of $973.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.05 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.53 EPS. The business's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. MKS's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on MKSI shares. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on MKS in a report on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of MKS in a report on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Needham & Company LLC dropped their target price on MKS from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on MKS from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $119.80.

Insider Transactions at MKS

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.10, for a total transaction of $27,630.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,862 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,092,490.20. This represents a 2.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,159,955. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

MKS 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.