MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Declares $0.22 Quarterly Dividend

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 11th,RTT News reports. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, March 7th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%.

MKS Instruments has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.8% per year over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a payout ratio of 9.4% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $7.48 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 11.8%.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 1.6 %

MKS Instruments stock opened at $108.88 on Wednesday. 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 capitalization of $7.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 242.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $111.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $110.54. MKS Instruments has a fifty-two week low of $97.54 and a fifty-two week high of $147.40.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value 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. This represents a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on MKSI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $156.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Citigroup raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered 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 note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.75.

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.