ABLE Financial Group LLC Makes New Investment in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

ABLE Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 15,991 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $1,669,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 772.7% during the fourth quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 61,447 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $6,481,000 after purchasing an additional 54,406 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 25.5% during the fourth quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 35,069 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $3,650,000 after purchasing an additional 7,136 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $1,480,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $85,451,000. Finally, Summit Global Investments bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $1,254,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 4.7%

MKSI stock traded down $4.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $81.36. The company had a trading volume of 1,084,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,056,235. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $76.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $95.40. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The stock has a market cap of $5.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.06, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $913.59 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.18 EPS. MKS Instruments's revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 27th. 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 MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on MKSI. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Benchmark cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $134.92.

About MKS Instruments

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.