MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $111.20, but opened at $105.10. MKS Instruments shares last traded at $105.60, with a volume of 257,039 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.75.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $6.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 230.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $111.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $110.55. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98.

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, topping 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently 195.56%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

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

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $97,494,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $85,451,000. Barclays PLC grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 108.6% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,019,134 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $110,789,000 after acquiring an additional 530,620 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,391,000 after acquiring an additional 292,226 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,312,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

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.