MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Announces $0.22 Quarterly Dividend

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, November 5th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, December 6th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th.

MKS Instruments has raised its dividend payment by an average of 3.2% per year over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a dividend payout ratio of 11.7% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $7.21 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.88 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 12.2%.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKS Instruments stock traded up $1.10 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $102.04. The company had a trading volume of 32,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 819,558. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $106.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.10. MKS Instruments has a 52 week low of $67.42 and a 52 week high of $147.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.58, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 917.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.63.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 0.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 5.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the topic of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 target price for the company. Citigroup cut MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their target price on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.09.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 1,800 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.71, for a total value of $213,678.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543.23. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 2,325 shares of company stock valued at $272,795 in the last quarter. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.