MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Bought by Northern Trust Corp

Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 20.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 608,382 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 103,257 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned 0.90% of MKS Instruments worth $63,509,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position 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 worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the fourth 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKS Instruments stock traded up $2.85 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $80.14. The company had a trading volume of 1,577,384 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,070,903. The company has a market capitalization of $5.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $75.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $97.16. 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 posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $936.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $913.59 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.18 earnings per share. MKS Instruments's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, 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 was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares in the company, 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the firm'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 owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective 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. Benchmark lowered their price target on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $135.17.

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.