Lecap Asset Management Ltd. Lowers Stock Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Lecap Asset Management Ltd. decreased its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 89.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,915 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 24,213 shares during the period. Lecap Asset Management Ltd.'s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $317,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 196.9% during the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 53.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Key Financial Inc bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Five 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $141.09.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI traded up $1.57 during trading on Friday, reaching $100.95. 908,783 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 821,164. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $109.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.20. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $63.44 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a current ratio of 3.58. The stock has a market cap of $6.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 903.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.63.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.51. The business had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The company's revenue was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. MKS Instruments's payout ratio is 800.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at $2,079,805.98. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 2,575 shares of company stock worth $303,660. Insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

About MKS Instruments

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.