MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Purchased by Loomis Sayles & Co. L P

Loomis Sayles & Co. L P boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 17.8% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 295,651 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 44,747 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $32,140,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Shellback Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,541,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 219.5% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,445,000 after purchasing an additional 239,099 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at approximately $21,690,000. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $23,171,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 239.2% during the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 247,695 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $32,344,000 after buying an additional 174,675 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup cut MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Mizuho raised MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 target price for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.09.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This trade represents a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. The trade was a 1.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $116.49 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.84 billion, a PE ratio of 258.87, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.63. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $107.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $118.34. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.25 and a twelve month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The firm had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

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.