JPMorgan Chase & Co. Begins Coverage on MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 28.83% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Mizuho raised MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.42.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $112.55 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $108.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $116.95. The company has a market capitalization of $7.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 250.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $90.90 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its 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. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The business had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,146,048.40. This represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 825 shares of company stock valued at $92,853 over the last quarter. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CWM LLC increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 23.0% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 937 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at $691,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 1.0% in the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,685 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,570,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at $249,000. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,542,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.