MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Receives “Buy” Rating from Benchmark

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by analysts at Benchmark in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $142.00 target price on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. Benchmark’s price objective points to a potential upside of 31.02% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. TD Cowen increased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Bank of America started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $148.75.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI traded up $4.86 during trading on Thursday, reaching $108.38. 461,704 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 814,968. The company’s 50-day moving average is $129.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $124.60. The company has a market cap of $7.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a quick ratio of 2.34, a current ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. MKS Instruments has a 12-month low of $63.44 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The business had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 13.90% and a negative net margin of 48.24%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. Research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total transaction 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total value of $30,865.00. Following 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. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in MKS Instruments by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,892,941 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $709,077,000 after acquiring an additional 39,045 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,490,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $461,966,000 after buying an additional 581,453 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 143.1% in 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 buying an additional 1,260,792 shares during the period. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 1,157,767 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $119,099,000 after buying an additional 27,635 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $117,672,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.