MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares Down 3.8%

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)’s stock price traded down 3.8% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $115.82 and last traded at $115.94. 163,387 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 74% from the average session volume of 632,673 shares. The stock had previously closed at $120.48.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. TheStreet upgraded MKS Instruments from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. KeyCorp lifted their target price on MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Benchmark lifted their target price on MKS Instruments from $85.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.75.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $7.21 billion, a PE ratio of -3.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $124.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $101.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.18 and a quick ratio of 2.01.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.28. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 9.95% and a negative net margin of 50.80%. The firm had revenue of $893.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $845.25 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

MKS Instruments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.82%. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently -3.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total transaction of $30,722.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,161 shares in the company, valued at $1,125,795.29. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.89, for a total transaction of $30,722.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,161 shares in the company, valued at $1,125,795.29. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Seth H. Bagshaw sold 32,865 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.28, for a total value of $4,051,597.20. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 1 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $123.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 60,776 shares of company stock worth $7,326,307. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth $25,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the first quarter worth $26,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC grew its stake in MKS Instruments by 73.5% in the first quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 295 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Mendota Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.