MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock Price Down 7% - Time to Sell?

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the subject of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted 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. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Benchmark dropped their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded MKS Instruments from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Three 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Trading Down 5.3 %

The company has a market cap of $4.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.55, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a quick ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 3.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $82.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $100.24.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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, analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments's dividend payout ratio is presently 31.43%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of MKS Instruments 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 valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in MKS Instruments by 58.0% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 433 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 424.1% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 414 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.