M&T Bank Corp Boosts Stock Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

M&T Bank Corp grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 2.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,354 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,707,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings 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 valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in MKS Instruments in the third quarter worth $50,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MKSI shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised 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. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Benchmark cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Three investment 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,273,577.01. This represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This trade represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,575 shares of company stock worth $896,107. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 2.9 %

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $84.89 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $106.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.34. The stock has a market cap of $5.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $80.36 and a 12 month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. Equities analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 31.43%.

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.