Mizuho Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by equities research analysts at Mizuho from $105.00 to $118.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "outperform" rating on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock. Mizuho's price target points to a potential upside of 13.55% from the company's current price.

MKSI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded MKS from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on MKS in a report on Thursday, July 10th. They set a "sell" rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on MKS from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on MKS from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $118.80.

MKS Trading Down 0.7%

MKS stock traded down $0.76 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $103.92. The stock had a trading volume of 970,369 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,053,577. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $92.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $92.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.01 billion, a PE ratio of 31.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.88. MKS has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $145.59. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $936.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $913.59 million. MKS had a return on equity of 20.67% and a net margin of 6.21%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.18 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,571 shares in the company, valued at $2,159,955. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS during the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Optimum Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of MKS by 66.7% during the 1st quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS by 89.3% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 581 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MKS

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.