MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Bought by Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC

Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 363,428 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 5,606 shares during the period. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC owned about 0.54% of MKS Instruments worth $37,938,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth about $50,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 directly owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. This represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI opened at $77.29 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.84 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 3.19. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $75.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $97.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.21 billion, a PE ratio of 27.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.29. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. The firm had revenue of $936.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $913.59 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.18 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders 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 yield of 1.14%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 31.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on MKSI. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Benchmark decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.08.

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.