MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target Raised to $118.00

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price objective upped by Mizuho from $105.00 to $118.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on MKSI. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of MKS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of MKS from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of MKS in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $90.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on MKS from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $118.80.

MKS Trading Down 1.9%

MKS stock opened at $101.97 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a current ratio of 3.11. MKS has a fifty-two week low of $54.84 and a fifty-two week high of $141.45. The stock has a market cap of $6.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.44, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.88. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $93.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $92.19.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.29. MKS had a return on equity of 20.67% and a net margin of 6.21%. The business had revenue of $936.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $913.59 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.18 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that MKS will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.86%. MKS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.27%.

Insider Activity at MKS

In related news, EVP David Philip Henry sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $210,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,571 shares in the company, valued at $2,159,955. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in MKS by 163.5% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,182 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $217,000 after acquiring an additional 1,354 shares during the last quarter. Steph & Co. bought a new stake in shares of MKS in the second quarter worth about $42,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in MKS by 15.9% during the 2nd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 71,083 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $7,063,000 after purchasing an additional 9,736 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in MKS by 112.7% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,529 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $251,000 after purchasing an additional 1,340 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in MKS by 55.8% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 975 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 349 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MKS

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.