MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Gap Down to $111.85

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $111.85, but opened at $108.88. MKS Instruments shares last traded at $108.83, with a volume of 7,095 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. 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 for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on MKS Instruments from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $142.00.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a PE ratio of -4.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.58 and a quick ratio of 2.31. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $119.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $124.21.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.51. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.25% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $866.38 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 5.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 26th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -3.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments 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 transaction, the director now owns 17,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,805.98. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 stock was 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 approximately $1,300,404.18. 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 quarter. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in 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 during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,260,792 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $117,672,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in 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 lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 30,348 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.