MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $141.75.

MKSI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $156.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 10th.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 0.3 %

MKSI stock opened at $113.28 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. MKS Instruments has a 1 year low of $97.54 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $111.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $111.29. The firm has a market cap of $7.62 billion, a PE ratio of 251.73, a PEG ratio of 0.54 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 earnings per share (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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,146,048.40. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MKS Instruments

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aigen Investment Management LP grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 705.3% during the third quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 12,547 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,364,000 after buying an additional 10,989 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 7.3% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 444,333 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $48,303,000 after buying an additional 30,216 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 10.4% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,525,037 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $265,874,000 after buying an additional 237,979 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,391,000 after buying an additional 292,226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth about $868,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MKS Instruments 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.