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

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $141.09.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $114.92 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 255.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.63. MKS Instruments has a 1 year low of $77.25 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $107.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $118.42. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The business had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 6.22 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is presently 195.56%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. The trade was a 1.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 7.1% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 78,093 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $10,387,000 after buying an additional 5,184 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 29.5% during the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 111,923 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $14,886,000 after acquiring an additional 25,520 shares during the last quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 705.3% during the third quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 12,547 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,364,000 after purchasing an additional 10,989 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 7.6% in the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 141,187 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $18,436,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth $1,599,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.