Elizabeth Mora Sells 275 Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 3.8 %

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $104.43 on Friday. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a 52-week low of $63.44 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $122.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a current ratio of 3.58. The company has a market capitalization of $7.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.91, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 0.25%. The business had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $866.38 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -3.30%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new position in MKS Instruments in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in MKS Instruments in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the second quarter worth $39,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $144.67.

About MKS Instruments

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.