MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Receives $144.67 Average PT from Brokerages

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the nine ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $144.67.

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed 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 for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 9th.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In related news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at $2,079,805.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 2,325 shares of company stock worth $276,435 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 143.1% during the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,141,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $282,102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,792 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $117,672,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $60,664,000. Shellback Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $34,541,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 219.5% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,445,000 after purchasing an additional 239,099 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 3.8 %

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $104.43 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.31, a current ratio of 3.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The firm has a market cap of $7.00 billion, a PE ratio of -3.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $122.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.73. MKS Instruments has a 52 week low of $63.44 and a 52 week high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. MKS Instruments’s revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

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

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.