MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Holdings Boosted by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 62.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 39,464 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 15,184 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio owned approximately 0.06% of MKS Instruments worth $4,120,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GTS Securities LLC lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 2,745 shares during the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at about $261,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 20.6% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 258,251 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $26,959,000 after buying an additional 44,106 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $4,405,000. Finally, Systematic Financial Management LP grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 219,678 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $22,932,000 after buying an additional 20,845 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 4.4%

MKSI traded up $3.65 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $86.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,092,271 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,053,726. The firm has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.76, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.84 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $75.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $94.94.

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 for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.29. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. The firm had revenue of $936.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $913.59 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.18 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Benchmark reduced their price objective on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded MKS Instruments from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley upped 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 decreased their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and set 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 issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $134.92.

About MKS Instruments

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.