MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $159.6364.

MKSI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. KeyCorp increased their price target on MKS from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of MKS from $122.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $175.00 target price on shares of MKS and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of MKS from $135.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th.

Insider Transactions at MKS

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.14, for a total value of $36,642.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,562 shares in the company, valued at $1,412,182.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP David Philip Henry sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $650,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,571 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,024,230. This represents a 24.31% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,600 shares of company stock valued at $716,597. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MKS

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKSI. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MKS during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of MKS by 74.5% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 260 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in MKS during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in MKS during the third quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in MKS in the second quarter valued at about $39,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MKS Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $158.74 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $139.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.35. MKS has a 52 week low of $54.84 and a 52 week high of $160.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.29, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 2.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. MKS had a return on equity of 20.65% and a net margin of 7.11%.The business had revenue of $988.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $963.87 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. MKS has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.930-2.610 EPS. Analysts anticipate that MKS will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 24th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. MKS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.36%.

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.