Two Sigma Securities LLC Cuts Stock Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Two Sigma Securities LLC lessened its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 72.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,486 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 8,964 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Securities LLC's holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $364,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Hood River Capital Management LLC lifted its position in MKS Instruments by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 32,826 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $3,427,000 after purchasing an additional 1,632 shares during the period. Pinebridge Investments L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 91.3% in the 4th quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 38,669 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $4,037,000 after buying an additional 18,451 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $493,000. Stifel Financial Corp grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 62,009 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $6,474,000 after acquiring an additional 2,270 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in MKS Instruments by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 38,103 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $3,978,000 after acquiring an additional 3,154 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at $6,273,577.01. The trade was a 11.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Benchmark cut their price target 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. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI traded up $4.20 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $75.83. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,465,276 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,053,616. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $76.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 3.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.81. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.84 and a 1-year high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

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.