MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Receives $141.83 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $141.75.

Several equities research analysts have commented on MKSI shares. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $156.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 2.6 %

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $114.05 on Thursday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $110.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $113.26. MKS Instruments has a 1-year low of $97.54 and a 1-year high of $147.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 253.44, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently 195.56%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Chesapeake Capital Corp IL purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $285,000. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,984 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 196 shares during the period. BOKF NA acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in MKS Instruments by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 46,864 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $6,119,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.