8,554 MKS Inc. $MKSI Shares Purchased by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group increased its MKS stake by 244.3% in the third quarter, purchasing 8,554 shares and ending the period with 12,056 shares valued at about $3.2 million.
• MKS reported quarterly EPS of $4.18, beating the $3.63 consensus, while revenue rose 43% year over year to $1.41 billion; management cited AI-driven demand and forecast fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.62–$5.38.
• The company authorized a $500 million share-repurchase program, while analyst price-target cuts offered a counterpoint to the positive earnings news.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its holdings in MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 244.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,056 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 8,554 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.'s holdings in MKS were worth $3,199,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of MKS during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $231,673,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in MKS by 1,742.1% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 442,273 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $117,362,000 after acquiring an additional 418,264 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in MKS in the 2nd quarter valued at $140,866,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in MKS in the 2nd quarter valued at $128,303,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in MKS by 12.5% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 259,749 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $59,693,000 after purchasing an additional 28,850 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at MKS

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.96, for a total value of $75,288.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 18,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,729,341.20. The trade was a 1.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John Tseng-Chung Lee sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.01, for a total transaction of $3,020,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 134,776 shares in the company, valued at $40,703,699.76. This trade represents a 6.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.

MKS News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MKS beat third-quarter estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $4.18 versus roughly $3.63 expected. Revenue rose 43% year over year, supported by strong semiconductor demand. Zacks Q3 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management pointed to AI-fueled demand, capacity expansion and improving margins, and forecast fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.62–$5.38—signaling potential for continued growth. Zacks earnings-call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: The company authorized a $500 million share repurchase program, which may support demand for the stock and signals the board’s willingness to return capital to shareholders. $500 million buyback announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms cut their price targets, tempering the positive earnings news. Deutsche Bank lowered its target to $240 from $385 but maintained Buy; Citigroup cut to $350 from $430 and also kept Buy. Wells Fargo reduced its target to $195 from $285 and maintained Equal Weight. Deutsche Bank target update Citigroup target update Wells Fargo target update

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on MKSI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of MKS from $365.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of MKS from $360.00 to $330.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Needham & Company LLC dropped their price objective on shares of MKS from $390.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of MKS from $285.00 to $195.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MKS from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MKS currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $366.77.

MKS Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $192.27 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $13.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 2.14. The business's 50 day moving average is $240.14 and its 200-day moving average is $277.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. MKS Inc. has a 1-year low of $134.74 and a 1-year high of $447.62.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $4.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.63 by $0.55. MKS had a return on equity of 28.77% and a net margin of 12.64%. The business had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.93 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 43.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that MKS Inc. will post 13.11 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, November 4th that allows the company to buy back $500 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the scientific and technical instruments company to repurchase up to 3.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are often a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

MKS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 25th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. MKS's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 11.86%.

About MKS

MKS Inc develops technologies used to manufacture semiconductor devices and other advanced products. Its offerings include instruments, components, subsystems and systems that measure and control pressure, gas flow, gas composition, power and other process conditions.

The company also provides laser and photonics technologies, motion-control solutions, and specialty chemicals and plating equipment. These products support semiconductor fabrication and packaging, electronics manufacturing, life sciences and a range of industrial applications.

Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, MKS serves customers around the world.

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