MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Congress Wealth Management LLC DE

Congress Wealth Management LLC DE lowered its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 69.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,060 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 4,665 shares during the period. Congress Wealth Management LLC DE’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $215,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 58.0% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 159 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 3.8 %

Shares of MKS Instruments stock opened at $81.59 on Monday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $99.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $105.45. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.37 and a 12-month high of $147.40. 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 stock has a market cap of $5.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.14, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. On average, equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Insider Activity

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,607,324.64. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on MKSI shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Benchmark reduced their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on shares of 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 issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.