California Public Employees Retirement System Has $11.70 Million Stake in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)

California Public Employees Retirement System trimmed its position in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 0.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 113,763 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 109 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned approximately 0.17% of MKS Instruments worth $11,703,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Mendota Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $56,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 22.1% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 928 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $138,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $131,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKSI opened at $115.14 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $7.72 billion, a PE ratio of -4.18, a P/E/G ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a current ratio of 3.18, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 1 year low of $63.44 and a 1 year high of $135.51. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $123.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.42.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.28. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 9.95% and a negative net margin of 50.80%. The business had revenue of $893.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $845.25 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.00 earnings per share. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was down 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -3.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on MKSI. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. StockNews.com raised MKS Instruments from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. TheStreet raised MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Benchmark lifted their price target on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.00, for a total value of $33,250.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 16,862 shares in the company, valued at $2,242,646. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other MKS Instruments news, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total value of $910,737.79. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 42,999 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,284,147.11. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.00, for a total value of $33,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 16,862 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,242,646. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 50,776 shares of company stock worth $6,226,307 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.51% 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.