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MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Purchased by Cooke & Bieler LP

MKS logo with Computer and Technology background

Cooke & Bieler LP boosted its stake in MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 18.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,038,945 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 161,905 shares during the period. Cooke & Bieler LP owned 1.54% of MKS worth $83,271,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,445,956 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $777,283,000 after purchasing an additional 97,392 shares during the last quarter. 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 last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of MKS by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,291,478 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $239,207,000 after buying an additional 6,715 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of MKS by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,231,467 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $232,943,000 after buying an additional 6,964 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in MKS in the 4th quarter worth $85,451,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Trading Up 1.9%

MKSI stock traded up $1.97 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $103.94. The company had a trading volume of 987,730 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,053,995. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $93.89 and a 200 day moving average of $92.19. MKS Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $135.39. The company has a market capitalization of $7.01 billion, a PE ratio of 31.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.96.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.29. MKS had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 20.67%. The company had revenue of $936.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $913.59 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.18 earnings per share. MKS's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. MKS's payout ratio is 26.27%.

Insider Transactions at MKS

In other MKS news, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of MKS from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of MKS in a report on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of MKS from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of MKS from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MKS has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $118.80.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MKS

MKS Profile

(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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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI)

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