MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Amalgamated Bank

Amalgamated Bank lowered its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 1.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 39,436 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 635 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank owned 0.06% of MKS Instruments worth $5,245,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board raised its position in MKS Instruments by 12.8% in the first quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 13,200 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,756,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.7% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,734 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $630,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth $232,000. Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 2.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 162,548 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $21,619,000 after buying an additional 4,537 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 2.7% in the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 15,440 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,054,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI traded down $0.78 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $131.83. 603,335 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 708,421. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.84 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.96, a PEG ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 3.69 and a quick ratio of 2.34. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $63.44 and a 12-month high of $135.51. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $123.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $108.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.43. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 48.24% and a positive return on equity of 13.90%. The firm had revenue of $868.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $848.94 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.48 EPS. MKS Instruments’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 28th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.67%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -3.30%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In related news, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total value of $4,051,597.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 1 shares in the company, valued at approximately $123.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other MKS Instruments news, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total transaction of $910,737.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 42,999 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,284,147.11. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total transaction of $4,051,597.20. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 1 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $123.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 40,776 shares of company stock worth $5,026,307 in the last 90 days. 0.51% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on MKSI shares. StockNews.com upgraded MKS Instruments from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $136.75.

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.