MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Given Buy Rating at Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reissued their buy rating on shares of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $156.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on MKSI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Four equities research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.75.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 2.6 %

MKSI stock opened at $114.05 on Wednesday. MKS Instruments has a twelve month low of $97.54 and a twelve month high of $147.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 253.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $110.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.27.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.77%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of MKS Instruments 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 directly owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 Trading of MKS Instruments

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its stake in MKS Instruments by 196.9% in the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the second quarter valued at about $39,000. BOKF NA purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in MKS Instruments by 53.7% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in MKS Instruments by 58.0% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

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.