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

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in shares of MKS by 5.2% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,515,373 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $281,758,000 after purchasing an additional 173,945 shares in the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS during the first quarter valued at approximately $425,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of MKS by 41.8% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,250,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $260,494,000 after purchasing an additional 958,607 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of MKS by 4.2% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 634,204 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $50,831,000 after purchasing an additional 25,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group increased its stake in shares of MKS by 1,168.3% during the first 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

MKS Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MKSI traded up $1.19 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $106.22. The company had a trading volume of 692,377 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,186,147. 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 52 week low of $54.84 and a 52 week high of $125.33. The firm has a market cap of $7.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.96, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.86. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $99.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.55.

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

MKS Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on shares of MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of MKS from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating on shares of MKS in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.80.

About MKS

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.