Gerard G. Colella Sells 10,000 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Gerard G. Colella sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.01, for a total value of $1,000,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 88,017 shares in the company, valued at $8,802,580.17. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 0.6 %

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $100.81 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52 week low of $64.77 and a 52 week high of $114.15. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $102.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $94.52. The company has a quick ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 3.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The firm has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a PE ratio of -3.85 and a beta of 1.55.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.21. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 10.78% and a negative net margin of 45.65%. The firm had revenue of $1 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $983.48 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.59 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 31.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 3.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 28th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 25th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently -3.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $113.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, August 4th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Benchmark boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $105.00 to $115.00 in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on MKS Instruments from $90.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, July 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $104.10.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Carlyle Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 150.0% during the fourth quarter. Carlyle Group Inc. now owns 8,482,732 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $718,742,000 after purchasing an additional 5,089,639 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its position in MKS Instruments by 77.0% during the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,766,284 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $245,148,000 after purchasing an additional 1,203,696 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 240.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,498,030 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $126,928,000 after buying an additional 1,058,245 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $74,360,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 16.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,129,843 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $506,570,000 after acquiring an additional 864,178 shares during the period. 99.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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, and internationally. It operates through Vacuum Solutions Division, Photonics Solutions Division, and Material Solutions Division.