Aigen Investment Management LP boosted its position in MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 67.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,908 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,790 shares during the period. Aigen Investment Management LP's holdings in MKS were worth $954,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Madison Asset Management LLC raised its position in MKS by 52.9% in the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 1,428,143 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $114,466,000 after buying an additional 494,207 shares during the last quarter. Shapiro Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,228,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MKS by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,388,639 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $271,599,000 after acquiring an additional 300,356 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in MKS in the 4th quarter valued at $28,312,000. Finally, D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in MKS by 158.5% in the 4th quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 367,437 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,357,000 after purchasing an additional 225,285 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on MKS from $100.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised MKS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on MKS in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. They set a "sell" rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on MKS from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.80.
Get Our Latest Analysis on MKSI
MKS Trading Up 0.9%
Shares of MKSI traded up $0.91 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $104.36. The company had a trading volume of 900,859 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,134,676. 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 $7.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.86. The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $98.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $90.29.
MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $973.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $931.05 million. MKS had a return on equity of 20.65% and a net margin of 7.11%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.53 EPS. On average, research analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 25th. MKS's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.34%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,571 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,159,955. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,862 shares in the company, valued at $1,092,490.20. This trade represents a 2.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.
MKS Company Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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