MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Sold by Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc.

Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 25.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,398 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,530 shares during the quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $478,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 5.9% in the 2nd 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 during the period. Equitable Trust Co. increased its position in 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 acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE increased its position in 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 acquiring an additional 118 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 62.6% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in MKS Instruments by 53.7% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the sale, the director now 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on MKSI shares. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Citigroup lowered MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.09.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $105.48 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.10 billion, a PE ratio of 234.40, a PEG ratio of 0.66 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. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.07 and a 1-year high of $147.40. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $106.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $118.81.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. Research analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is presently 195.56%.

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.