MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock Holdings Lifted by Altfest L J & Co. Inc.

Altfest L J & Co. Inc. raised its position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 15.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,760 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the quarter. Altfest L J & Co. Inc.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $387,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Belpointe Asset Management LLC grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 73.5% in the first quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 295 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. PCA Investment Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth about $52,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 22.1% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 928 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 3rd quarter worth about $93,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 0.8 %

MKS Instruments stock opened at $133.00 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $119.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $97.36. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 3.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $63.44 and a 12 month high of $134.70.

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

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Investors 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 0.66%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -3.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MKSI. KeyCorp upped their price target on MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Benchmark boosted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. TheStreet raised MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised MKS Instruments from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $120.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 directly owns 1 shares in the company, valued at approximately $123.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total transaction of $30,722.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 9,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,125,795.29. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 1 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $123.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 60,776 shares of company stock worth $7,318,282. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

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.