MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Finviz reports. The brokerage currently has a $110.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft's target price indicates a potential upside of 24.35% from the company's current price.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on MKSI. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Benchmark reduced their price objective on MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $134.33.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $88.46 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $76.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $96.71. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The firm has a market cap of $5.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $936.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $913.59 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.18 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that MKS Instruments will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at $1,607,324.64. This trade represents a 1.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 772.7% during the fourth quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 61,447 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $6,481,000 after purchasing an additional 54,406 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 25.5% in the 4th quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 35,069 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $3,650,000 after buying an additional 7,136 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,480,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at about $85,451,000. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 65.0% during the fourth quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 8,751 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $914,000 after purchasing an additional 3,447 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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