Morgan Stanley Cuts MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target to $147.00

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price target lowered by Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $147.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on MKSI. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKSI stock opened at $103.67 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 3.42. MKS Instruments has a 52 week low of $97.54 and a 52 week high of $147.40. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $110.77 and its 200 day moving average is $110.19. The firm has a market cap of $6.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 230.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. Research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is 195.56%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.