Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC Makes New Investment in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 101,671 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,053,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 196.9% in the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Key Financial Inc purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at $39,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Finally, BOKF NA purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI opened at $113.29 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.17 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $106.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $118.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.62 billion, a PE ratio of 251.76, a P/E/G ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 3.42.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently 195.56%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MKSI shares. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho raised MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.09.

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.