MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target Lowered to $150.00 at Morgan Stanley

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its target price decreased by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 33.27% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Friday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup lowered shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.00.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 0.3 %

MKSI stock opened at $112.55 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $108.65 and a 200 day moving average of $116.88. The firm has a market cap of $7.57 billion, a PE ratio of 250.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65. MKS Instruments has a twelve month low of $90.90 and a twelve month high of $147.40. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The firm had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,119,818.70. This trade represents a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at $2,002,707.19. This represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 825 shares of company stock valued at $92,853. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 108.6% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,019,134 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $110,789,000 after buying an additional 530,620 shares during the last quarter. Shellback Capital LP bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,541,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 219.5% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,445,000 after buying an additional 239,099 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP bought a new position in MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter worth about $21,690,000. Finally, Mizuho Markets Americas LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the second quarter worth approximately $23,171,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.