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

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%.

MKS Instruments has raised its dividend by an average of 0.8% annually over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a payout ratio of 9.4% meaning 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 Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ MKSI traded down $2.14 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $110.70. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 109,322 shares, compared to its average volume of 815,695. MKS Instruments has a one year low of $97.54 and a one year high of $147.40. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $111.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $110.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 2.21. The stock has a market cap of $7.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 246.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on MKSI. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, November 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Citigroup raised MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.75.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by 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.