271,217 Shares in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Bought by Raymond James Financial Inc.

Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 271,217 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $28,312,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.40% of MKS Instruments at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 58.0% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MKSI shares. Benchmark dropped their target price on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $63.72 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.84 and a twelve month high of $147.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $84.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $100.90. The company has a market capitalization of $4.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.76, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.81.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. The trade was a 11.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

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