Fox Run Management L.L.C. Sells 6,559 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Fox Run Management L.L.C. cut its position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 47.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,192 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 6,559 shares during the quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C.'s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $751,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the fourth 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 last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on MKSI shares. Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Benchmark dropped their target price on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $140.08.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 60,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 3.8 %

Shares of MKSI traded down $3.23 on Friday, reaching $81.59. The stock had a trading volume of 825,764 shares, compared to its average volume of 915,455. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 3.19. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.37 and a 12-month high of $147.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $99.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $105.49.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. Sell-side analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

MKS Instruments Company 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.