Brokers Set Expectations for MKS’s Q1 Earnings (NASDAQ:MKSI)

MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for MKS in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the scientific and technical instruments company will post earnings per share of $1.88 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.63. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for MKS’s current full-year earnings is $6.94 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for MKS’s Q2 2026 earnings at $2.09 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.38 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.30 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.40 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.85 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.43 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $9.98 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $14.56 EPS.

MKSI has been the subject of a number of other research reports. TD Cowen lifted their target price on MKS from $200.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on MKS from $265.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on MKS from $210.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MKS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of MKS in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $273.46.

MKS Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $224.25 on Wednesday. MKS has a 1-year low of $54.84 and a 1-year high of $269.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.71. The business’s 50 day moving average is $224.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.32, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.94.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.51 by ($0.04). MKS had a return on equity of 20.85% and a net margin of 7.53%.The business had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.15 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. MKS has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.720-2.280 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MKSI. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in MKS during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in MKS by 560.0% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of MKS by 616.7% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 172 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. purchased a new position in shares of MKS in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS in the 4th quarter worth $41,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at MKS

In other MKS news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.44, for a total transaction of $71,832.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 18,663 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,468,668.72. This trade represents a 1.58% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathleen Flaherty Burke sold 4,254 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $1,063,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 53,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,448,500. This represents a 7.33% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 68,163 shares of company stock valued at $17,215,417 over the last three months. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MKS Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Monday, February 23rd were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. This is an increase from MKS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.88%.

Key MKS News

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates across multiple quarters and moved to a “Strong‑Buy,” lifting FY2027 and FY2028 forecasts materially (FY2027 to $9.98 and FY2028 to $14.56), implying stronger future growth expectations for MKS. This analyst backing can support upward momentum.
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment has been turning favorable — several firms (Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Cantor Fitzgerald, Morgan Stanley) have raised price targets and reiterated buy/overweight ratings; MarketBeat shows a consensus “Moderate Buy” with an average target ~ $273.46 — positive for investor sentiment.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike: MKS increased the quarterly dividend to $0.25 ($1.00 annualized) from $0.22, keeping payout ratio modest (~23%) and signaling confidence in cash flow. This supports income-oriented demand.
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional inflows: notable new and expanded stakes from Norges Bank, Southpoint, Frontier Capital, Westfield and Millennium show strong institutional conviction and add stability to the shareholder base.
• Neutral Sentiment: MKS benefited from improving end markets per an investor letter summary (Madison Investments), suggesting demand pickup that could sustain top-line growth. MKS (MKSI) Gained from End Markets Picking Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed revenue beat (+10.5% YoY to ~$1.03B) but a slight EPS miss (-$0.04). Management issued Q1 guidance (EPS 1.72–2.28) — mixed near‑term read but evidence of ongoing growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Eric Taranto sold 4,568 shares (avg ~$220.52) and has trimmed his holdings substantially across February/March, which some investors view as a negative signal. Eric Robert Taranto Sells 4,568 Shares of MKS
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~20% in February to ~3.84M shares (~5.7% of float). Elevated short activity can add volatility and downward pressure on near‑term price action.

MKS Company Profile

MKS Instruments, Inc (NASDAQ: MKSI) designs, manufactures and markets technology solutions that enable advanced processes in a variety of high‐technology and industrial markets. The company’s core offerings include vacuum and gas delivery systems, pressure and flow measurement instruments, optical metrology tools, photonics subsystems and critical components for manufacturing processes. These products support the precise control and monitoring needs of semiconductor, industrial manufacturing, life and health sciences, and research applications.

The company’s product portfolio features mass flow controllers, pressure transducers, vacuum gauges, gas purity monitors, laser-based metrology systems and photonic devices such as lasers and detectors.