MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target Cut to $150.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price objective lowered by Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report issued on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

MKSI has been the subject of several other reports. Mizuho raised MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup lowered shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.00.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $104.16 on Monday. MKS Instruments has a twelve month low of $94.31 and a twelve month high of $147.40. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $108.69 and its 200-day moving average is $116.54. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 231.47, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. This trade represents a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 825 shares of company stock worth $92,853 over the last ninety days. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 196.9% during the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 53.7% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Key Financial Inc purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. BOKF NA purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth $39,000. 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.