MKS Instruments’ (MKSI) “Buy” Rating Reaffirmed at Benchmark

Benchmark reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) in a research report report published on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $142.00 price objective on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on MKSI. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. KeyCorp raised their price target on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Bank of America started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a buy rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a hold rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $146.63.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of MKSI traded down $1.84 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $108.13. The company had a trading volume of 814,575 shares, compared to its average volume of 822,260. MKS Instruments has a twelve month low of $63.44 and a twelve month high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 3.69 and a quick ratio of 2.34. The company’s 50-day moving average is $128.44 and its 200-day moving average is $124.48. The company has a market capitalization of $7.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 13.90% and a negative net margin of 48.24%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 4.98 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently -3.30%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’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 transaction of $30,865.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at $1,300,404.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total transaction of $35,587.75. Following the completion of 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 SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, 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.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in MKS Instruments by 143.1% during 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 in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $117,672,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth $60,664,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 14.9% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Mizuho Markets Americas LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the second quarter worth $23,171,000. 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.