MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.22

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 8th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 28th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, June 7th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 24th.

MKS Instruments has increased its dividend by an average of 3.2% annually over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a dividend payout ratio of 12.7% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $6.52 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.88 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 13.5%.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

Shares of MKSI stock traded up $4.24 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $127.62. 875,894 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 635,280. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a current ratio of 3.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.56 billion, a PE ratio of -4.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.01 and a beta of 1.69. MKS Instruments has a 12 month low of $63.44 and a 12 month high of $135.51. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $123.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.06.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $868.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $848.94 million. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 9.95% and a negative net margin of 50.80%. MKS Instruments's quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.48 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MKSI shares. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Benchmark raised their price target on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, StockNews.com raised MKS Instruments from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total value of $910,737.79. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 42,999 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,284,147.11. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other MKS Instruments news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $1,200,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 68,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,162,040. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 7,411 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total value of $910,737.79. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,999 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,284,147.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 50,776 shares of company stock valued at $6,226,307 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.51% 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.