Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC Lowers Position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC trimmed its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,056 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,184 shares during the quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,154,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 58.0% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 335 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $60.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. 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. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $94.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.25. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 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%. Analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate 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.