MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Cut to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MKS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of MKS from $105.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of MKS from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of MKS from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.80.

MKS Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $107.52 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $101.05 and a 200-day moving average of $89.72. 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 12-month low of $54.84 and a 12-month high of $125.33. The firm has a market cap of $7.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.29, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.86.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.16. MKS had a net margin of 7.11% and a return on equity of 20.65%. The company had revenue of $973.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.05 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.53 EPS. MKS’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MKS will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 25th. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is 22.34%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,571 shares in the company, valued at $2,159,955. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $1,092,490.20. This represents a 2.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its holdings in MKS by 35.1% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 17,968 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,785,000 after purchasing an additional 4,670 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new stake in MKS in the second quarter worth about $956,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in MKS in the second quarter worth about $295,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in MKS by 65.1% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 652 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in MKS in the second quarter worth about $224,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

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.