Wells Fargo & Company Boosts MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target to $100.00

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Wells Fargo & Company from $85.00 to $100.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "equal weight" rating on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price objective indicates a potential downside of 3.35% from the stock's previous close.

MKSI has been the subject of several other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised MKS from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on MKS from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on MKS from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $129.91.

MKS Trading Up 1.3%

MKSI stock traded up $1.29 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $103.47. 44,106 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,223,301. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.98 billion, a PE ratio of 30.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.88. MKS has a 1 year low of $54.84 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The company has a 50-day moving average of $88.89 and a 200-day moving average of $92.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a current ratio of 3.11.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $936.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $913.59 million. MKS had a return on equity of 20.67% and a net margin of 6.21%. MKS's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.18 EPS. Analysts predict that MKS will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of MKS stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.57% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in MKS by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 9,748 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,018,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,143 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $224,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 68.6% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 263 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 11,943 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,247,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 19,527 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $2,038,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by 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.

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