MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $141.09.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MKSI shares. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 0.3 %

MKSI opened at $108.38 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $106.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 2.21. The stock has a market cap of $7.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 240.84, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.63. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $75.58 and a 12 month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.46 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is presently 195.56%.

Insider Activity

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. This represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. This represents a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. AE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in MKS Instruments by 5.9% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,659 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $217,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 2.2% during the third quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 5,035 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $547,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 1.3% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,729 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $949,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.4% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,942 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $537,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 62.6% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% 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.