Principal Financial Group Inc. Cuts Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 6.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 837,695 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 56,588 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $91,062,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Aigen Investment Management LP lifted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 705.3% during the 3rd quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 12,547 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,364,000 after buying an additional 10,989 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 141,187 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $18,436,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the second quarter worth $1,599,000. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 7.3% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 444,333 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $48,303,000 after purchasing an additional 30,216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 3,928.7% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 76,828 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $10,110,000 after purchasing an additional 74,921 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $103.53 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $108.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.44. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.71 and a 1-year 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 firm has a market capitalization of $6.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 230.07, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm 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 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 195.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Citigroup lowered shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.00.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, 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 transaction, the director now owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 825 shares of company stock worth $92,853. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Company 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.