Gerard G. Colella Sells 8,000 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) 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 value of $836,240.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. This represents a 11.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $107.85 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $110.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $110.07. The company has a market cap of $7.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.52, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.66. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $97.54 and a 12 month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. Sell-side analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 7.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 31.43%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Creative Planning raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 5.8% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 33,675 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $3,661,000 after purchasing an additional 1,832 shares in the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at approximately $227,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 277.0% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 856 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 22.5% in the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,718 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 13,537.3% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 10,228 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,112,000 after purchasing an additional 10,153 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Benchmark reduced their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target 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, Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.08.

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.