Lazard Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Lazard Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,501 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 4,501 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.09% of MKS Instruments worth $6,420,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 24,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 498 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

MKS Instruments Trading Down 2.4%

MKSI stock traded down $2.20 during trading on Monday, reaching $88.46. The company had a trading volume of 735,049 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,054,682. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.84 and a 52 week high of $147.40. The business has a 50 day moving average of $76.45 and a 200 day moving average of $96.79. The company has a market cap of $5.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.59, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $913.59 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.18 EPS. The business's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

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 $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 27th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio is presently 26.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. The trade was a 11.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm'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 $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.57% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.