Pzena Investment Management LLC Makes New $361,000 Investment in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 3,323 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $361,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Comerica Bank increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 29.5% in the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 111,923 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $14,886,000 after acquiring an additional 25,520 shares during the last quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 705.3% in the third 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 purchasing an additional 10,989 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 7.6% in the second 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 purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at $1,599,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 3,928.7% during 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKSI stock opened at $108.35 on Thursday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.58 and a twelve month high of $147.40. The firm has a market cap of $7.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 240.78, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.63. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $106.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $118.59. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.46 EPS. Analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 195.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.09.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. This represents a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. This represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MKS Instruments 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.