MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Receives "Hold (C)" Rating from Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• MKS Instruments, Inc. received a **"Hold (C)" rating** from Weiss Ratings, amidst mixed reviews from other brokerages, including an upgrade to "strong-buy" by Wall Street Zen.
• The company's stock price opened at **$132.97** and has a **market cap of $8.93 billion**, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of **$119.80**.
• MKS reported strong quarterly earnings, with an **EPS of $1.77**, surpassing expectations, and a **9.7% revenue increase** year-over-year, totaling **$973 million**.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating reiterated by equities researchers at Weiss Ratings in a report issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on MKSI. Wall Street Zen upgraded MKS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, September 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of MKS in a report on Thursday, July 10th. They set a "sell" rating and a $90.00 target price for the company. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on shares of MKS from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $119.80.

MKS Trading Up 3.2%

MKS stock opened at $132.97 on Wednesday. MKS has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $142.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The stock has a market cap of $8.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.97. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $111.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $94.92.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.16. MKS had a net margin of 7.11% and a return on equity of 20.65%. The firm had revenue of $973.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.05 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.53 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that MKS will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS

In other MKS news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.14, for a total value of $36,642.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,562 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,412,182.68. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David Philip Henry sold 5,000 shares of MKS stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total transaction of $650,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 15,571 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,024,230. The trade was a 24.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 5,900 shares of company stock valued at $744,227 in the last quarter. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MAI Capital Management increased its holdings in MKS by 12.5% in the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 956 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $95,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of MKS by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 10,964 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,089,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors raised its stake in MKS by 25.0% during the 2nd quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 625 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Steph & Co. grew its stake in MKS by 30.4% during the third quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 553 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in MKS by 4.4% during the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,620 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $360,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.