Amundi Sells 199,458 Shares of MKS Inc. $MKSI

Key Points

• Amundi has reduced its stake in MKS Inc. by 71.5% in the first quarter, decreasing its ownership to 79,492 shares worth $6.37 million.
• Several research firms have provided varying ratings for MKS, with Goldman Sachs issuing a "sell" rating and Cantor Fitzgerald increasing their price target to $120, indicating mixed sentiments among analysts.
• MKS recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22, translating to an annualized yield of 0.8%, with a payout ratio of 22.34%.

Amundi decreased its position in MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 71.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 79,492 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 199,458 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned approximately 0.12% of MKS worth $6,371,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MKSI. Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in MKS in the 1st quarter valued at $789,000. Artemis Investment Management LLP increased its stake in MKS by 2.2% in the first quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 251,799 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $20,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,422 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp raised its position in MKS by 15.5% in the first quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 18,884 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,513,000 after purchasing an additional 2,530 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in MKS by 16.2% during the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 110,765 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $8,878,000 after purchasing an additional 15,482 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its stake in MKS by 33.7% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 11,973 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $960,000 after purchasing an additional 3,021 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MKS Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of MKSI traded up $1.97 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $118.35. 1,183,703 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 937,076. The business has a fifty day moving average of $103.21 and a 200-day moving average of $90.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.95 billion, a PE ratio of 30.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.94. MKS Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.84 and a 1-year high of $125.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.16. MKS had a return on equity of 20.65% and a net margin of 7.11%.The firm had revenue of $973.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.05 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.53 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 5th. Investors of record on Monday, August 25th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 25th. MKS's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.34%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.85, for a total value of $29,955.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 19,263 shares in the company, valued at $1,923,410.55. This trade represents a 1.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of MKS stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 3rd. The stock was 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 approximately $2,159,955. This trade represents a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 2,600 shares of company stock valued at $267,585. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on MKSI shares. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on MKS from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Zacks Research cut MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of MKS in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $119.80.

MKS 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.