Millennium Management LLC Buys 21,533 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 10.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 234,795 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 21,533 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC owned about 0.35% of MKS Instruments worth $24,510,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 766.4% during the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 111,946 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $11,686,000 after acquiring an additional 99,025 shares in the last quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 39.0% in the fourth quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. now owns 9,110 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $951,000 after purchasing an additional 2,558 shares during the last quarter. Ellevest Inc. lifted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 8,633 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $901,000 after purchasing an additional 585 shares in the last quarter. Ethic Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 16,667 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,740,000 after purchasing an additional 6,779 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Expect Equity LLC purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $3,422,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This represents a 1.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $88.46 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $76.60 and its 200-day moving average is $96.71. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.84 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.29. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. The business had revenue of $936.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $913.59 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.18 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on MKSI. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Benchmark decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reduced their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $135.17.

MKS Instruments 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.