MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock Price Up 5.1%

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) traded up 5.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $131.75 and last traded at $131.75. 23,265 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 97% from the average session volume of 772,336 shares. The stock had previously closed at $125.30.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. KeyCorp raised their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, May 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $147.86.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 6.1 %

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $132.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $123.77. The stock has a market cap of $8.28 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $868.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $848.94 million. MKS Instruments had a negative net margin of 48.24% and a positive return on equity of 13.90%. The business’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.48 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 28th were paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 24th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently -3.30%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total transaction of $35,587.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 18,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,356,426.69. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.9% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 3,574 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $475,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Verity Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $277,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,734 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $630,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 23.0% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 937 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $122,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. 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.