JPMorgan Chase & Co. Sells 367,299 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered its stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 44.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 452,207 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 367,299 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $47,206,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MKSI. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at about $97,494,000. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 108.6% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,019,134 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $110,789,000 after acquiring an additional 530,620 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,391,000 after acquiring an additional 292,226 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,312,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 10.4% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,525,037 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $265,874,000 after purchasing an additional 237,979 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $60.29 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $94.63 and its 200-day moving average is $104.21. 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 company has a market capitalization of $4.07 billion, a PE ratio of 21.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.84 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

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

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.46%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MKSI shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup upgraded MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.08.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

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.