MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Gap Down to $111.85

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $111.85, but opened at $108.88. MKS Instruments shares last traded at $108.83, with a volume of 7,095 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MKSI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, August 8th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Citigroup downgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $142.00.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.58 and a quick ratio of 2.31. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $119.10 and its 200-day moving average is $124.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a PE ratio of -4.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.64.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 0.25%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 26th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -3.30%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total transaction of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares in the company, valued at $1,543.23. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at $2,079,805.98. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,325 shares of company stock valued at $276,435. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 180,266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $18,544,000 after acquiring an additional 9,962 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the first quarter valued at approximately $918,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $117,672,000. Crestline Management LP purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,498,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 7.1% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 78,093 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $10,387,000 after buying an additional 5,184 shares during 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.