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

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, November 4th,Zacks Dividends reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, December 6th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th.

MKS Instruments has raised its dividend payment by an average of 3.2% annually over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a dividend payout ratio of 11.2% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $7.42 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 11.9%.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $114.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 3.42. The firm has a market cap of $7.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 255.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.63. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $107.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $118.45. MKS Instruments has a one year low of $77.25 and a one year high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.27. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The business had revenue of $896.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $874.29 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 6.22 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Monday, August 5th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, November 18th. Citigroup downgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $129.00 target price for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.09.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 2.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. This represents a 1.51 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.