3,236 Shares in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Purchased by Verity Asset Management Inc.

Verity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 3,236 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $338,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MKSI. Equitable Trust Co. grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.2% in the third quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 5,035 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $547,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,729 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $949,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.4% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,942 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $537,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 53.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 21.6% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 772 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 2.3 %

NASDAQ:MKSI traded down $2.56 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $109.38. 652,707 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 845,644. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $97.54 and a 12-month high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 2.21. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $111.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $110.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 243.07, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated 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. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $156.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $141.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,002,707.19. This represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value of $34,440.00. Following the transaction, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.51% 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.