Brokerages Set MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) PT at $140.08

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $140.08.

MKSI has been the subject of several research reports. Needham & Company LLC dropped their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Benchmark lowered their price objective on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

Shares of MKS Instruments stock opened at $82.52 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The business has a 50-day moving average of $107.65 and a 200 day moving average of $108.92. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $82.08 and a 12 month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.07%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,607,324.64. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 owns 9,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. This represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 8,575 shares of company stock worth $896,107. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 58.0% in the fourth 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 during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

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.