Brokerages Set MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target at $141.83

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $141.83.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MKSI. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on 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.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

MKS Instruments stock traded down $1.70 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $111.16. 568,258 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 806,372. 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 has a 12 month low of $97.54 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The stock's fifty day moving average is $110.02 and its 200-day moving average is $113.91. The stock has a market cap of $7.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 247.02, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) 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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. MKS Instruments's quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.79%. MKS Instruments's payout ratio is presently 195.56%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction 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 $1,146,048.40. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Aigen Investment Management LP boosted its position 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 worth $1,364,000 after purchasing an additional 10,989 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 7.6% during the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 141,187 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $18,436,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,599,000. Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 444,333 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $48,303,000 after acquiring an additional 30,216 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 3,928.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 76,828 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $10,110,000 after acquiring an additional 74,921 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.