MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Free Report) had its price target cut by Needham & Company LLC from $140.00 to $130.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock.
A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on MKSI. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on MKS in a report on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised MKS from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on MKS from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $119.80.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on MKSI
MKS Price Performance
NASDAQ MKSI traded down $1.20 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $98.17. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,069,571 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,099,699. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $97.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $90.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. MKS has a 1 year low of $54.84 and a 1 year high of $125.33. The company has a market capitalization of $6.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.92, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.86.
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 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.16. MKS had a return on equity of 20.65% and a net margin of 7.11%. The company had revenue of $973.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $931.05 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.53 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that MKS will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.
MKS Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 25th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. MKS's payout ratio is currently 22.34%.
Insider Activity at MKS
In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.10, for a total transaction of $27,630.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,862 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,092,490.20. The trade was a 2.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,159,955. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in MKS in the 1st quarter valued at $789,000. Artemis Investment Management LLP grew its position in MKS by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 251,799 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $20,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,422 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp grew its position in MKS by 15.5% in the 1st quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 18,884 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,513,000 after acquiring an additional 2,530 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in MKS by 16.2% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 110,765 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $8,878,000 after acquiring an additional 15,482 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in MKS in the 4th quarter valued at $28,312,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.
MKS Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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