MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group

Equities researchers at The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set a "sell" rating and a $90.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock. The Goldman Sachs Group's price target indicates a potential downside of 14.92% from the stock's current price.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded MKS from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of MKS from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted 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. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on MKS from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $126.36.

MKS Price Performance

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $105.78 on Thursday. MKS has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $147.40. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $90.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $92.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.13 billion, a PE ratio of 31.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.96.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $913.59 million. MKS had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 20.67%. MKS's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.18 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that MKS will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at MKS

In related news, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,571 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,159,955. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of MKS by 27.3% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,794 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $187,000 after purchasing an additional 385 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of MKS 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 purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in MKS during the fourth quarter worth $28,312,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its position in MKS by 210.5% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 278,950 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $31,008,000 after purchasing an additional 189,125 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS 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.

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