Handelsbanken Fonder AB Cuts Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB decreased its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,900 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,869,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Aigen Investment Management LP raised its position in 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 worth $1,364,000 after acquiring an additional 10,989 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in MKS Instruments by 7.3% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 444,333 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $48,303,000 after acquiring an additional 30,216 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in MKS Instruments by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,525,037 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $265,874,000 after acquiring an additional 237,979 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,391,000 after acquiring an additional 292,226 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WCM Investment Management LLC raised its position in MKS Instruments by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 35,069 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $3,650,000 after acquiring an additional 7,136 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MKSI. Benchmark dropped their price target on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Finally, Needham & Company LLC dropped their price target on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 3.8 %

MKSI opened at $96.11 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 3.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The firm has a market cap of $6.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.33, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.66. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.61 and a 52 week high of $147.40. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $109.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $109.97.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 31.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,575 shares of company stock valued at $901,868. 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.