Fmr LLC Sells 129,528 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

FMR LLC lowered its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 2.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,310,898 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 129,528 shares during the quarter. FMR LLC owned 6.41% of MKS Instruments worth $468,638,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 241.0% in the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 10,125 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,347,000 after buying an additional 7,156 shares during the period. Cetera Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 1st quarter valued at about $734,000. American Trust bought a new stake in MKS Instruments in the first quarter valued at about $201,000. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth about $200,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 56.4% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 635 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on MKSI shares. Citigroup lowered MKS Instruments from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $155.00 price target for the company. Mizuho raised MKS Instruments to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $141.09.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 10,283 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at $2,079,805.98. The trade was a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 1.1 %

MKSI stock traded up $1.28 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $113.64. 757,513 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 825,316. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a one year low of $80.84 and a one year high of $147.40. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $107.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $118.10. The company has a market cap of $7.65 billion, a PE ratio of 252.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 3.42.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments's payout ratio is 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.