MKS Inc. $MKSI Shares Newly Bought by M&G PLC

M&G PLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 58,776 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,576,000. M&G PLC owned 0.09% of MKS as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of MKS by 1,745.1% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 14,632 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,969,000 after purchasing an additional 13,839 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of MKS by 69.2% in the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,345 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $357,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares in the last quarter. CenterBook Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of MKS in the third quarter valued at $6,092,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP acquired a new position in shares of MKS in the third quarter valued at $62,000. Finally, TT International Asset Management LTD lifted its position in MKS by 267.8% in the third quarter. TT International Asset Management LTD now owns 4,961 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,316,000 after purchasing an additional 3,612 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Trading Up 0.9%

MKSI stock opened at $213.47 on Wednesday. MKS Inc. has a 1-year low of $134.74 and a 1-year high of $447.62. The firm has a market cap of $14.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 2.14. The business’s 50 day moving average is $238.40 and its 200-day moving average is $276.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $4.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.63 by $0.55. The business had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.36 billion. MKS had a return on equity of 28.77% and a net margin of 12.64%. MKS’s quarterly revenue was up 43.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that MKS Inc. will post 14.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 25th. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 11.86%.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on MKSI. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MKS from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of MKS from $345.00 to $330.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 26th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of MKS from $430.00 to $350.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of MKS from $390.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 5th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of MKS from $360.00 to $330.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $366.77.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS

In other news, CEO John Tseng-Chung Lee sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.01, for a total value of $3,020,100.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 134,776 shares in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.96, for a total transaction of $75,288.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 18,845 shares in the company, valued at $4,729,341.20. This represents a 1.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

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.