MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Coverage Initiated at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) in a research note released on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage issued an overweight rating and a $145.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock.

MKSI has been the subject of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $129.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho upgraded 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 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $141.42.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKSI stock traded down $0.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $112.55. The company had a trading volume of 531,030 shares, compared to its average volume of 819,884. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 3.42. The firm has a market cap of $7.57 billion, a PE ratio of 250.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $90.90 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $108.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $117.17.

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 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm posted $1.46 EPS. MKS Instruments's revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 195.56%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. This represents a 2.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 825 shares of company stock valued at $92,853. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 5.9% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,659 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $217,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 5,035 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $547,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in MKS Instruments by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,729 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $949,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 2.4% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,942 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $537,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 62.6% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 309 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.79% 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.