MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $141.00.

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup lowered MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Mizuho upgraded MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,659 shares in the company, 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 have sold a total of 825 shares of company stock valued at $92,853 over the last 90 days. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.5% during the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 157,839 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $17,159,000 after purchasing an additional 3,779 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,216,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in MKS Instruments by 26.2% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 23,311 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $2,626,000 after buying an additional 4,846 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 65.7% in the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 31,849 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,462,000 after acquiring an additional 12,628 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter valued at about $50,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKSI stock opened at $103.53 on Friday. MKS Instruments has a 1-year low of $95.71 and a 1-year 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. The firm has a market cap of $6.97 billion, a PE ratio of 230.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $108.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.29.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

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.