Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,317 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 312 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $470,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AE Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 5.9% in the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,659 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $217,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 5,035 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $547,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,942 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $537,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 62.6% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in MKS Instruments by 53.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MKSI. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Citigroup cut shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.09.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 6.6 %

MKSI opened at $105.48 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $106.81 and its 200-day moving average is $118.81. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a one year low of $75.07 and a one year high of $147.40. The company has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a PE ratio of 234.40, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $2,079,805.98. This represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $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 currently owned by insiders.

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.