MKS Instruments, Inc. to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.22 (NASDAQ:MKSI)

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, November 5th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be given a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, December 6th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th.

MKS Instruments has increased its dividend by an average of 3.2% annually over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a dividend payout ratio of 11.7% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. 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 Trading Up 2.3 %

NASDAQ MKSI traded up $2.35 on Wednesday, reaching $103.29. The company had a trading volume of 930,517 shares, compared to its average volume of 839,090. The firm has a market cap of $6.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 939.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.58 and a quick ratio of 2.31. MKS Instruments has a fifty-two week low of $67.42 and a fifty-two week high of $147.40. The business has a 50 day moving average of $106.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $119.10.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKSI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of 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. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $129.00 price objective on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Mizuho upgraded MKS Instruments to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Citigroup lowered shares of MKS Instruments from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Five investment 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 company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $141.09.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company'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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,119,818.70. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. 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 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

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.