MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) PT Raised to $156.00 at Needham & Company LLC

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price target boosted by Needham & Company LLC from $153.00 to $156.00 in a research report report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a hold rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They issued an overweight rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $146.63.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI stock opened at $109.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 3.69. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.62. The company has a market capitalization of $7.35 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65. MKS Instruments has a 52-week low of $63.44 and a 52-week high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 13.90% and a negative net margin of 48.24%. The company had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $866.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that MKS Instruments will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently -3.30%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the sale, the director now 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 this hyperlink. In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director now directly owns 18,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,356,426.69. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. XTX Topco Ltd increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 111.2% in the 2nd quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 8,345 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,090,000 after acquiring an additional 4,393 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.6% during the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 141,187 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $18,436,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Seven Eight Capital LP bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth approximately $278,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 3,928.7% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 76,828 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $10,110,000 after purchasing an additional 74,921 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in MKS Instruments by 11.8% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 4,890 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $624,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.