Verity Asset Management Inc. Raises Stock Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Verity Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 6.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 124 shares during the quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $277,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 143.1% in the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,141,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $282,102,000 after acquiring an additional 1,260,792 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter worth about $117,672,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter worth about $60,664,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,490,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $461,966,000 after purchasing an additional 581,453 shares during the period. Finally, Ceredex Value Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at about $21,052,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI traded down $8.19 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $106.56. 2,061,630 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,016,697. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $63.44 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a market cap of $7.15 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $130.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $124.44.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.43. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 13.90% and a negative net margin of 48.24%. The firm had revenue of $868.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $848.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.48 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 28th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 24th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently -3.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,300,404.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total value of $35,587.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 18,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,356,426.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, May 10th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. KeyCorp raised their target price on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $147.86.

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.