MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Summit Global Investments

Summit Global Investments lowered its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 50.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,914 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 6,097 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments' holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $474,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MKSI. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 8,326.0% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 95,298 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $7,638,000 after buying an additional 94,167 shares during the period. ABLE Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,669,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its position in MKS Instruments by 62.5% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 39,464 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $4,120,000 after acquiring an additional 15,184 shares in the last quarter. GTS Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 41.5% in the fourth quarter. GTS Securities LLC now owns 9,357 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $977,000 after purchasing an additional 2,745 shares during the period. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $261,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC dropped their target price 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. Benchmark cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $134.92.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ MKSI traded up $3.65 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $86.14. The company had a trading volume of 1,092,271 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,053,239. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $75.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $95.00. The firm has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.76, 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. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.84 and a fifty-two week high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last posted 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 firm had revenue of $936.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $913.59 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.18 EPS. MKS Instruments's revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.02%. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.27%.

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.