MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target Lowered to $150.00 at Morgan Stanley

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price objective cut by Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. Citigroup downgraded MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Monday, September 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Mizuho raised MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with 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, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.00.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

MKSI opened at $110.86 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $108.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 246.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65. MKS Instruments has a 12-month low of $93.88 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 25th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 195.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total transaction of $27,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. This represents a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 825 shares of company stock worth $92,853 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter valued at approximately $691,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,685 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,570,000 after buying an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $249,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $127,000. Finally, &PARTNERS acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the second quarter worth $358,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% 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.