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

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the four analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $128.75.

MKSI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Benchmark increased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com upgraded MKS Instruments from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. TheStreet raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.00, for a total transaction of $33,250.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 16,862 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,242,646. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.00, for a total transaction of $33,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 16,862 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,242,646. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total transaction of $910,737.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,999 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,284,147.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 50,776 shares of company stock worth $6,226,307 over the last three months. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 22,653 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $3,013,000 after buying an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 143.1% during the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,141,676 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $282,102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,792 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 9,522 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,266,000 after purchasing an additional 807 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new position in MKS Instruments in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 4.9% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 4,640 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $617,000 after buying an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $122.02 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 3.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. The stock has a market cap of $8.18 billion, a PE ratio of -4.43, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.69. The company’s fifty day moving average is $123.46 and its 200 day moving average is $103.60. MKS Instruments has a 52 week low of $63.44 and a 52 week high of $135.51.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $893.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $845.25 million. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 9.95% and a negative net margin of 50.80%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.00 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 4.54 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently -3.19%.

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.