MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Receives $141.75 Average Price Target from Analysts

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research 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. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $141.75.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $156.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target 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. Finally, Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of MKSI traded up $0.41 on Monday, reaching $111.94. 589,307 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 853,683. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $111.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $111.08. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $97.54 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 248.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.66. 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 - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was 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 owns 9,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. This represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares of the company's stock, 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. 0.51% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 108.6% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,019,134 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $110,789,000 after purchasing an additional 530,620 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $31,391,000 after buying an additional 292,226 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth $28,312,000. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,525,037 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $265,874,000 after acquiring an additional 237,979 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 3rd quarter valued at about $21,690,000. 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.