MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $103.29, but opened at $117.75. MKS Instruments shares last traded at $115.28, with a volume of 211,454 shares.

The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.30. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.82% and a net margin of 0.90%. The company had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. MKS Instruments’s revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 195.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on MKSI. Citigroup cut MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $153.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Mizuho upgraded MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, August 5th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, MKS Instruments currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.09.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,325 shares of company stock worth $272,795 over the last three months. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $361,000. Hilton Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,852,000. Commerce Bank lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 34,189 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $3,717,000 after purchasing an additional 5,413 shares during the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,053,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,729 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $949,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 0.6 %

The firm has a market cap of $7.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 258.42, a P/E/G ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a current ratio of 3.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $106.63 and a 200-day moving average of $119.01.

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.