MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Earns Overweight Rating from Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) in a report published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm issued an overweight rating and a $140.00 target price on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on MKSI. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, August 5th. They set an overweight rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $144.20.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $105.82 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.12 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a current ratio of 3.58, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. MKS Instruments has a 1 year low of $63.44 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $121.10 and a 200-day moving average of $124.50.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.51. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 0.25%. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $866.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is -3.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments 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 directly owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,300,404.18. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,533 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 2,325 shares of company stock valued at $276,435. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,892,941 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $709,077,000 after purchasing an additional 39,045 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 143.1% in the 1st 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 acquiring an additional 1,260,792 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth approximately $117,672,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 911,243 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $121,195,000 after acquiring an additional 10,079 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 5.1% in the first quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 620,063 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $82,468,000 after purchasing an additional 30,348 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is 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.