Hilton Capital Management LLC Takes $1.85 Million Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Hilton Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 17,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,852,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 196.9% during the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the period. Key Financial Inc purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, BOKF NA purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MKSI shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup downgraded MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.09.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKS Instruments stock opened at $108.38 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The company has a market capitalization of $7.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 240.84, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.63. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $106.92 and its 200 day moving average is $118.67. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.58 and a twelve month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.46 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 195.56%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. This represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.