New York State Teachers Retirement System Lowers Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

New York State Teachers Retirement System cut its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 65,286 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 2,500 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.10% of MKS Instruments worth $6,815,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the fourth 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 period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in 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 acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth $50,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 63.9% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 572 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 4.4 %

MKS Instruments stock traded down $4.76 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $103.09. 926,006 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 900,276. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $97.54 and a fifty-two week high of $147.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.82, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.66. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $110.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $110.05. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 60,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,146,048.40. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 8,575 shares of company stock valued at $901,868 over the last 90 days. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on MKSI shares. Citigroup upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $145.00 target price for the company. Benchmark reduced their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reduced 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. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.08.

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.