MKS Inc. to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.22 (NASDAQ:MKSI)

MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, November 4th. Investors of record on Monday, November 24th will be given a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, December 5th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 24th.

MKS has increased its dividend by an average of 0.0%per year over the last three years. MKS has a payout ratio of 10.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect MKS to earn $8.61 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.88 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 10.2%.

MKS Stock Down 5.7%

NASDAQ MKSI traded down $8.27 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $137.20. The stock had a trading volume of 1,150,740 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,188,806. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $125.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $103.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 2.99. The company has a market capitalization of $9.21 billion, a PE ratio of 34.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.97. MKS has a 12 month low of $54.84 and a 12 month high of $147.31.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.16. MKS had a return on equity of 20.65% and a net margin of 7.11%.The business had revenue of $973.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.05 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.53 earnings per share. MKS’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at MKS

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of MKS stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.85, for a total value of $29,955.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 19,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,923,410.55. This trade represents a 1.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of MKS stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.14, for a total value of $36,642.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,562 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,412,182.68. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 5,600 shares of company stock valued at $716,597 over the last three months. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MKS during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS during the third quarter worth $38,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of MKS during the second quarter worth $39,000. Optimum Investment Advisors grew its stake in shares of MKS by 66.7% during the first quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steph & Co. bought a new stake in MKS during the 2nd quarter worth $42,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by 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.