MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Bought by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 14.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,490,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 581,453 shares during the period. MKS Instruments makes up approximately 0.5% of Victory Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.07% of MKS Instruments worth $461,966,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mendota Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 22.1% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 928 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $138,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target 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. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Benchmark increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,999 shares in the company, valued at $5,284,147.11. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total transaction of $910,737.79. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,999 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,284,147.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 50,776 shares of company stock worth $6,226,307 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 3.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI traded down $3.83 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $115.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 130,586 shares, compared to its average volume of 627,734. The company has a current ratio of 3.18, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $63.44 and a fifty-two week high of $135.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.17, a PEG ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 1.67. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $123.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $103.42.

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

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently -3.19%.

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.