The Goldman Sachs Group Has Lowered Expectations for MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock Price

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price target dropped by The Goldman Sachs Group from $143.00 to $128.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 17.36% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on MKSI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Mizuho raised shares of MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Four 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 company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.75.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $109.07 on Friday. MKS Instruments has a 52 week low of $97.54 and a 52 week high of $147.40. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $110.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.66. 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 firm has a market cap of $7.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 242.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 0.90% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The business had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 9,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. This represents a 2.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total transaction of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 196.9% in the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 288 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in MKS Instruments by 53.7% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 349 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. BOKF NA acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 2nd quarter valued at about $43,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.