MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Down 7% - Should You Sell?

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report)'s share price dropped 7% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $62.21 and last traded at $62.50. Approximately 1,001,154 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 0% from the average daily volume of 998,423 shares. The stock had previously closed at $67.18.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MKSI has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Benchmark dropped their price target on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The company has a market cap of $4.30 billion, a PE ratio of 22.76, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.81. The stock's 50-day moving average is $83.71 and its 200 day moving average is $100.59.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.38%. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total transaction of $836,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,273,577.01. This trade represents a 11.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in MKS Instruments by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in MKS Instruments by 424.1% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.