MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Strong-Buy Rating

Key Points

• MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) received an upgrade from a "buy" to a "strong-buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, reflecting increased analyst confidence in the stock.
• The stock has a current consensus price target of $119.80, with multiple analyst ratings including buy and outperform from various firms.
• MKS recently reported strong earnings, with $1.77 earnings per share and revenue of $973 million for the last quarter, exceeding expectations.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of MKS in a research report on Friday, August 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of MKS in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of MKS from $100.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.80.

MKS Trading Up 1.8%

MKS stock traded up $2.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $130.20. 46,493 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,203,056. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $104.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $91.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 2.99 and a quick ratio of 1.88. MKS has a 52-week low of $54.84 and a 52-week high of $132.44.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS

In other MKS news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.85, for a total transaction of $29,955.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 19,263 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,923,410.55. This trade represents a 1.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Philip Henry sold 5,000 shares of the 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 directly owned 15,571 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,024,230. This trade represents a 24.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 7,600 shares of company stock valued at $917,585 in the last three months. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of MKS in the second quarter valued at $39,000. Optimum Investment Advisors boosted its stake in MKS by 66.7% during the first quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Steph & Co. purchased a new position in MKS during the second quarter worth $42,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in MKS during the second quarter worth $46,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of MKS by 89.3% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 581 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MKS

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.