MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Now Covered by Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group

Equities researchers at The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) in a report issued on Tuesday, Briefing.com reports. The firm set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 8.19% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on MKSI. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp increased their target price on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $144.67.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 1.7 %

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $119.23 on Tuesday. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $63.44 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.58, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The stock has a market cap of $7.99 billion, a PE ratio of -4.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $123.94 and its 200 day moving average is $125.15.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total transaction of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at $1,543.23. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total value of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at $1,300,404.18. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total transaction of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,260,792 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $117,672,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth $60,664,000. Shellback Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter worth $34,541,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 219.5% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,445,000 after buying an additional 239,099 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.