MKS Inc. $MKSI Shares Sold by Great Lakes Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Great Lakes Advisors LLC has significantly reduced its stake in MKS Inc. by 76.2%, selling 135,335 shares and retaining 42,156 shares worth approximately $3.38 million.
• MKS recently reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.77, exceeding expectations and marking a 9.7% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• The firm declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 0.8%, with a payout ratio of 22.34%.

Great Lakes Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 76.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 42,156 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 135,335 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC owned about 0.06% of MKS worth $3,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MKS by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 11,943 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,247,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Optimum Investment Advisors boosted its position in MKS by 66.7% during the 1st quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of MKS by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 16,140 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,294,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in MKS by 1.1% in the first quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 18,900 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,515,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its stake in shares of MKS by 2.7% during the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 7,881 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $631,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MKS news, 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 sale, the director directly owned 11,862 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,092,490.20. This trade represents a 2.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.85, for a total value of $29,955.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 19,263 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,923,410.55. The trade was a 1.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,600 shares of company stock valued at $267,585. Insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.

MKS Stock Down 0.8%

MKS stock traded down $0.90 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $115.10. 1,321,788 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 910,320. The company has a market cap of $7.73 billion, a PE ratio of 29.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.94. MKS Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $125.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 2.99. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $102.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $89.82.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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. MKS had a return on equity of 20.65% and a net margin of 7.11%.The business had revenue of $973.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $931.05 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.53 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on MKS from $100.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Mizuho lifted their price objective on MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on MKS from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Zacks Research cut MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MKS presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.80.

MKS Company Profile

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.