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

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $144.17.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $130.58 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $127.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $119.30. MKS Instruments has a one year low of $63.44 and a one year high of $139.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 3.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.89, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.43. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 48.24% and a positive return on equity of 13.90%. The business had revenue of $868.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $848.94 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.48 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 4.88 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 28th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.67%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently -3.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The shares were 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 $2,356,426.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 143.1% in the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,141,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $282,102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,792 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $117,672,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $60,664,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 14.9% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,490,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $461,966,000 after purchasing an additional 581,453 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $21,052,000. 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.