Mutual of America Capital Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC raised its stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 4.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 54,088 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 2,313 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.08% of MKS Instruments worth $5,880,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 17.8% during the third quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC now owns 509,883 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $55,429,000 after purchasing an additional 77,025 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 14.0% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 418,894 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $54,699,000 after acquiring an additional 51,540 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 372,394 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $48,629,000 after acquiring an additional 17,476 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 219.5% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,445,000 after purchasing an additional 239,099 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mizuho Markets Americas LLC grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 57.2% in the third quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC now owns 278,887 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $30,318,000 after purchasing an additional 101,439 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho upgraded MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Morgan Stanley initiated 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 on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.09.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI stock opened at $108.38 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $7.29 billion, a PE ratio of 240.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $106.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $118.67. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $75.58 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 195.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. This trade represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.