8,554 MKS Inc. $MKSI Shares Acquired by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 244.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,056 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,554 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in MKS were worth $3,199,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of MKS during the 2nd quarter valued at $231,673,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of MKS by 1,742.1% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 442,273 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $117,362,000 after purchasing an additional 418,264 shares in the last quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in MKS in the second quarter valued at about $140,866,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in MKS during the second quarter worth about $128,303,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new stake in MKS during the second quarter worth about $77,043,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Price Performance

MKS stock opened at $192.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.19. MKS Inc. has a 52 week low of $134.74 and a 52 week high of $447.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 2.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $240.14 and a 200-day moving average of $277.02.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $4.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.63 by $0.55. The business had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.36 billion. MKS had a return on equity of 28.77% and a net margin of 12.64%. MKS’s revenue for the quarter was up 43.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.93 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that MKS Inc. will post 13.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, November 4th that permits the company to repurchase $500 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the scientific and technical instruments company to purchase up to 3.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

MKS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 25th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 25th. MKS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.86%.

Insider Activity at MKS

In related news, CEO John Tseng-Chung Lee sold 10,000 shares of MKS stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.01, for a total transaction of $3,020,100.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 134,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $40,703,699.76. The trade was a 6.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.96, for a total transaction of $75,288.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 18,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,729,341.20. This represents a 1.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MKSI shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of MKS from $285.00 to $195.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MKS from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of MKS from $430.00 to $350.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of MKS from $365.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MKS from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $366.77.

Key Headlines Impacting MKS

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MKS beat third-quarter estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $4.18 versus roughly $3.63 expected. Revenue rose 43% year over year, supported by strong semiconductor demand. Zacks Q3 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management pointed to AI-fueled demand, capacity expansion and improving margins, and forecast fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.62–$5.38—signaling potential for continued growth. Zacks earnings-call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: The company authorized a $500 million share repurchase program, which may support demand for the stock and signals the board’s willingness to return capital to shareholders. $500 million buyback announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms cut their price targets, tempering the positive earnings news. Deutsche Bank lowered its target to $240 from $385 but maintained Buy; Citigroup cut to $350 from $430 and also kept Buy. Wells Fargo reduced its target to $195 from $285 and maintained Equal Weight. Deutsche Bank target update Citigroup target update Wells Fargo target update

About MKS

MKS Inc develops technologies used to manufacture semiconductor devices and other advanced products. Its offerings include instruments, components, subsystems and systems that measure and control pressure, gas flow, gas composition, power and other process conditions.

The company also provides laser and photonics technologies, motion-control solutions, and specialty chemicals and plating equipment. These products support semiconductor fabrication and packaging, electronics manufacturing, life sciences and a range of industrial applications.

Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, MKS serves customers around the world.