UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Sells 30,261 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp cut its stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 93.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,269 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 30,261 shares during the quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $296,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 180,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $18,544,000 after buying an additional 9,962 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth about $918,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth about $117,672,000. Crestline Management LP purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,498,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.1% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 78,093 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $10,387,000 after purchasing an additional 5,184 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 3.8 %

MKS Instruments stock opened at $104.43 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a one year low of $63.44 and a one year high of $147.40. The stock has a market cap of $7.00 billion, a PE ratio of -3.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a current ratio of 3.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $122.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $124.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The company had revenue of $887.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. MKS Instruments’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is -3.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped 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. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $144.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments 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 transaction of $31,891.75. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other MKS Instruments news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total transaction of $213,678.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through 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 value of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,325 shares of company stock worth $276,435 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

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.