MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Reaches New 1-Year High - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) shares hit a new **52-week high** of $127.14 during trading, with a trading volume of **121,939 shares**.
• The company reported **$1.77 earnings per share (EPS)** for the latest quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate by **$0.16**, and its revenue grew by **9.7% year-over-year**.
• MKS recently announced a quarterly dividend of **$0.22 per share**, resulting in an annualized yield of **0.7%**, with a dividend payout ratio of **22.34%**.

MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $126.01 and last traded at $127.14, with a volume of 121939 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $119.44.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of MKS in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. They set a "sell" rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on MKS from $100.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Mizuho lifted their price target on MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Zacks Research downgraded MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.80.

MKS Stock Performance

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 $8.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.94. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $104.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $91.02.

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

MKS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 25th were given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. MKS's payout ratio is 22.34%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MKS news, 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,024,230. The trade was a 24.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of MKS stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.85, for a total transaction of $29,955.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 19,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,923,410.55. The trade was a 1.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,600 shares of company stock worth $917,585. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in MKS by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,515,373 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $281,758,000 after purchasing an additional 173,945 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in MKS by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,388,639 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $271,599,000 after purchasing an additional 300,356 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in MKS by 41.8% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,250,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $260,494,000 after purchasing an additional 958,607 shares in the last quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC grew its position in MKS by 52.9% during the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 1,428,143 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $114,466,000 after purchasing an additional 494,207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,258,108 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $125,025,000 after acquiring an additional 35,065 shares in the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.