Equitable Trust Co. Increases Stock Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Equitable Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 32.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,645 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 1,610 shares during the quarter. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $694,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MKSI. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 12,921 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,687,000 after purchasing an additional 1,827 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 21.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 772 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 470.8% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,348 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $581,000 after purchasing an additional 4,411 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 53.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 41.8% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 3,821 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $415,000 after purchasing an additional 1,127 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value of $34,440.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 3.2 %

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $112.84 on Tuesday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $97.54 and a 12-month high of $147.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 250.76, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $110.64.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MKSI shares. Citigroup upgraded MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $156.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.75.

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.