Natixis Advisors LLC Has $29.57 Million Holdings in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 208.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 283,243 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after buying an additional 191,561 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $29,568,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during 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 purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report 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. Finally, 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 report on Friday, February 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares in the company, 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 firm’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 transaction of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 3.0 %

Shares of MKS Instruments stock opened at $88.91 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.75, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a quick ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 3.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.37 and a 12-month high of $147.40. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $103.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.84.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. On average, analysts forecast 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

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.