Nomura Holdings Inc. Sells 19,113 Shares of MKS Inc. $MKSI

Key Points

• Nomura Holdings Inc. reported a **4.6% reduction** in its stake in MKS Inc., lowering its holdings to approximately **400,234 shares valued at $32.08 million** as of the end of Q1.
• Multiple analysts have issued positive ratings for MKS, with **Mizuho raising its price target from $105 to $118**, indicating a strong outlook for the company.
• MKS Inc. recently announced a **quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share**, with a yield of **0.9%** and a payout ratio of **22.34%**.

Nomura Holdings Inc. decreased its position in shares of MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 4.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 400,234 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 19,113 shares during the quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. owned 0.59% of MKS worth $32,079,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of MKS by 41.8% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,250,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $260,494,000 after acquiring an additional 958,607 shares in the last quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in MKS in the 1st quarter worth about $44,320,000. Madison Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MKS by 52.9% during the first quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 1,428,143 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $114,466,000 after buying an additional 494,207 shares during the last quarter. Shapiro Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $48,228,000. Finally, Kodai Capital Management LP grew its holdings in MKS by 138.3% during the 1st quarter. Kodai Capital Management LP now owns 708,021 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $56,748,000 after acquiring an additional 410,865 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of MKSI stock traded down $1.71 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $100.24. 933,708 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 977,598. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $101.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $89.51. 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. The stock has a market cap of $6.73 billion, a PE ratio of 14.06, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.94.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $973.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $931.05 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.53 earnings per share. MKS's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. MKS's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.34%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of MKS stock in a transaction on Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.10, for a total value of $27,630.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,862 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,092,490.20. The trade was a 2.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the business's 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 owned 20,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,159,955. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,600 shares of company stock worth $267,585. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho lifted their price target on MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of MKS from $100.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of MKS in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of MKS in a report on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $90.00 price objective for the company. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.80.

About MKS

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.