MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Purchased by International Assets Investment Management LLC

International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 3,902.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 7,724 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,531 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $795,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mendota Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 22.1% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 928 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth $93,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at $131,000. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $204,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $112.56 on Wednesday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $63.44 and a 12-month high of $135.51. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $124.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $102.14. The company has a current ratio of 3.18, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. The firm has a market cap of $7.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.09, a PEG ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 1.67.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $893.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $845.25 million. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 50.80% and a positive return on equity of 9.95%. MKS Instruments’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.00 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently -3.19%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.00, for a total transaction of $33,250.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 16,862 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,242,646. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.00, for a total value of $33,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 16,862 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,242,646. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total value of $910,737.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,999 shares in the company, valued at $5,284,147.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 50,776 shares of company stock valued at $6,226,307. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on MKSI shares. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. TheStreet raised MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. StockNews.com raised MKS Instruments from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Benchmark boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.75.

MKS Instruments 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.