MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Hits New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $89.20 and last traded at $91.03, with a volume of 77781 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $91.82.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Benchmark decreased their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $142.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup upgraded 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 report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

The business’s fifty day moving average price is $108.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 3.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 5.30%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Instruments Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.43%.

Insider Activity at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total transaction of $25,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This trade represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total transaction of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,146,048.40. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,575 shares of company stock worth $896,107. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. Madison Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $97,494,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter valued at $85,451,000. Barclays PLC raised its position in MKS Instruments by 108.6% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,019,134 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $110,789,000 after purchasing an additional 530,620 shares in the last quarter. Shapiro Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $48,228,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $31,391,000 after buying an additional 292,226 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

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.