MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Hits New 12-Month High at $138.93

Shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $138.93 and last traded at $137.96, with a volume of 245057 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $136.19.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. KeyCorp upped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on MKS Instruments from $145.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $145.00.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 0.3 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $9.16 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.10, a PEG ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 1.65. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $125.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 3.69 and a quick ratio of 2.34.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $868.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $848.94 million. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 13.90% and a negative net margin of 48.24%. MKS Instruments’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.48 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.45 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 28th were paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -3.30%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total transaction of $35,587.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 18,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,356,426.69. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 3,574 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $475,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,085 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $277,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,734 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $630,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 0.5% in the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 29,144 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,522,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Scotia Capital Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. now owns 7,261 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $628,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.