Victory Capital Management Inc. Purchases 35,256 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 1.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,088,283 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 35,256 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 4.59% of MKS Instruments worth $322,386,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MKSI. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 277.0% during 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 in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,718 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 499 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 13,537.3% in the 3rd 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 buying an additional 10,153 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in MKS Instruments by 59.3% in the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,853 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $528,000 after acquiring an additional 1,807 shares during the period. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 14.6% during the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 7,816 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $849,000 after acquiring an additional 995 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 0.1 %

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $85.53 on Wednesday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.11 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $108.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $109.08. 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 company has a market capitalization of $5.76 billion, a PE ratio of 30.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. Research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MKSI shares. Citigroup upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC dropped their price target on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 60,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This trade represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 8,575 shares of company stock valued at $896,107. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.