MKS Instruments, Inc. (MKSI) To Go Ex-Dividend on February 24th

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, February 10th,RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, March 7th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th.

MKS Instruments has raised its dividend by an average of 0.8% per year over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a payout ratio of 9.4% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $7.48 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.88 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 11.8%.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI traded up $0.56 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $111.20. 1,003,346 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 851,387. MKS Instruments has a 1 year low of $97.54 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 247.11, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66. 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 business has a 50 day moving average of $111.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $110.54.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MKSI has been the topic of several research reports. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $156.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.75.

About MKS Instruments

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.