QRG Capital Management Inc. Takes Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

QRG Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 4,668 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $487,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 159 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 335 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 3rd quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 3rd quarter worth about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company's stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 2.9 %

MKS Instruments stock traded up $2.37 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $84.89. The stock had a trading volume of 1,192,445 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,003,571. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $80.36 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The company has a market capitalization of $5.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.32, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $106.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $108.43. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93.

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MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. As a group, equities analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments's payout ratio is 31.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on MKSI. Needham & Company LLC cut their target price on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Three research 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $140.08.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the business'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 sale, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. The trade was a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value of $34,440.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. This represents a 2.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 8,575 shares of company stock valued at $896,107 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

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.