MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Position Cut by New York State Common Retirement Fund

New York State Common Retirement Fund trimmed its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 45.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 141,038 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 119,269 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $14,509,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 29,144 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $2,522,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. lifted its position in MKS Instruments by 2.3% in the third quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. now owns 7,261 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $628,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in MKS Instruments by 22.1% in 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 period. Securian Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,323 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $461,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 55,330 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $4,789,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKSI stock opened at $123.12 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a current ratio of 3.18. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $63.44 and a 52-week high of $135.51. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $123.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.14.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $893.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $845.25 million. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 50.80% and a positive return on equity of 9.95%. The company’s revenue was down 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.00 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were given 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 yield of 0.71%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is presently -3.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded MKS Instruments from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Benchmark upped their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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 upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total value of $4,051,597.20. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 1 shares in the company, valued at $123.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other MKS Instruments news, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total value of $4,051,597.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 1 shares in the company, valued at $123.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $1,200,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 68,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,162,040. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 50,776 shares of company stock worth $6,226,307. 0.51% 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.