MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $142.00.

MKSI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other MKS Instruments news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at $1,543.23. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at $2,079,805.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 2,325 shares of company stock worth $276,435 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth $26,000. Key Financial Inc acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, BOKF NA purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at $39,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $108.71 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.58, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The company’s 50 day moving average is $113.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.00. The company has a market cap of $7.29 billion, a PE ratio of -4.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.64. MKS Instruments has a 52 week low of $63.44 and a 52 week high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.51. The business had revenue of $887.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 0.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. Equities analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 5.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently -3.30%.

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.