MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $130.82.

MKSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of MKS from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on shares of MKS from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of MKS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of MKS from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in shares of MKS during the 1st quarter worth approximately $77,000. Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of MKS during the 1st quarter worth approximately $4,239,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in shares of MKS by 3.6% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 267,421 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $21,434,000 after buying an additional 9,170 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in shares of MKS in the first quarter valued at $342,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of MKS in the first quarter valued at $939,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MKS Stock Up 3.9%

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI opened at $104.62 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.06 billion, a PE ratio of 31.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87. MKS has a 1 year low of $54.84 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $87.09 and its 200-day moving average is $92.32.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $936.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $913.59 million. MKS had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 20.67%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.18 EPS. Equities analysts expect that MKS will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

MKS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.27%.

MKS 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.