Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC Purchases 5,530 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 293.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 7,414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 5,530 shares during the period. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $774,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew 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 worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in 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 period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the third quarter valued at about $57,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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MKS Instruments Stock Up 2.7 %

NASDAQ MKSI traded up $2.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $81.02. 1,151,077 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,016,138. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.37 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $107.77. The firm has a market cap of $5.46 billion, a PE ratio of 28.94, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.76.

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 earnings per share (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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.09%. MKS Instruments's payout ratio is presently 31.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on MKSI shares. 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. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Benchmark dropped their price target on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.08.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business'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 transaction, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. This represents 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 owned by 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.