MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target Raised to $160.00

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price objective increased by KeyCorp from $150.00 to $160.00 in a research report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

MKSI has been the subject of several other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a hold rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Bank of America began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a buy rating and a $160.00 price target for the company. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $147.86.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $143.52 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $9.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.38, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.65. 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 firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $131.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $122.13. MKS Instruments has a one year low of $63.44 and a one year high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $868.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $848.94 million. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 48.24% and a positive return on equity of 13.90%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.48 EPS. Research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 28th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 24th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently -3.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total value of $35,587.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 18,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,356,426.69. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 143.1% in 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 bought a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at $117,672,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP bought a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at $60,664,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 14.9% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,490,779 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $461,966,000 after purchasing an additional 581,453 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ceredex Value Advisors LLC bought a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter valued at $21,052,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.