55,119 Shares in MKS Inc. $MKSI Bought by Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC

Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 55,119 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,477,000. MKS accounts for about 0.9% of Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in MKS in the first quarter worth about $789,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC acquired a new position in MKS in the second quarter worth about $214,000. M&T Bank Corp raised its position in MKS by 15.5% in the first quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 18,884 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,513,000 after purchasing an additional 2,530 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in MKS by 16.2% in the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 110,765 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $8,878,000 after purchasing an additional 15,482 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in MKS during the first quarter worth about $1,257,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $143.71 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $124.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $103.15. MKS Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.84 and a 12-month high of $147.31. The firm has a market cap of $9.65 billion, a PE ratio of 36.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.97.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $973.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $931.05 million. MKS had a net margin of 7.11% and a return on equity of 20.65%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.53 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at MKS

In other MKS news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.14, for a total transaction of $36,642.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,562 shares in the company, valued at $1,412,182.68. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.85, for a total transaction of $29,955.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,923,410.55. This trade represents a 1.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 5,600 shares of company stock worth $716,597. 0.57% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of MKS from $92.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $175.00 target price on shares of MKS and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of MKS from $118.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $151.00 target price on shares of MKS in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of MKS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $137.20.

About MKS

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.