The Goldman Sachs Group Cuts MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target to $128.00

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price objective reduced by The Goldman Sachs Group from $143.00 to $128.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a neutral rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, November 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price for the company. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.75.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 1.9 %

MKS Instruments stock opened at $109.07 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 242.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.66. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $110.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $113.54. MKS Instruments has a 1-year low of $97.54 and a 1-year high of $147.40. 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 results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is 195.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value 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 approximately $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 196.9% during the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 53.7% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. BOKF NA bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,000. 99.79% of the stock is 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.