MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.22

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, August 6th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, September 6th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th.

MKS Instruments has raised its dividend payment by an average of 3.2% annually over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a dividend payout ratio of 11.7% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $7.14 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.88 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 12.3%.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $106.50. The company had a trading volume of 98,373 shares, compared to its average volume of 807,775. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 3.69. MKS Instruments has a one year low of $63.44 and a one year high of $147.40. The firm has a market cap of $7.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.10, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $129.66 and its 200 day simple moving average is $124.74.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.43. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 13.90% and a negative net margin of 48.24%. The company had revenue of $868.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $848.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.48 earnings per share. MKS Instruments’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total value of $35,587.75. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 18,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,356,426.69. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total value of $30,865.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MKSI. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $148.75.

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.