MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Given “Overweight” Rating at Cantor Fitzgerald

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating restated by investment analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $140.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. Cantor Fitzgerald’s target price points to a potential upside of 31.29% from the stock’s current price.

MKSI has been the subject of a number of other reports. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $156.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Citigroup upgraded MKS Instruments from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a report on Monday, November 18th. Four equities research 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS Instruments presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.75.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 4.1 %

MKSI stock traded down $4.57 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $106.64. The company had a trading volume of 639,306 shares, compared to its average volume of 843,085. The company has a 50 day moving average of $111.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $110.55. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. MKS Instruments has a 1 year low of $97.54 and a 1 year high of $147.40. The company has a market capitalization of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 238.09, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. On average, equities research analysts expect that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were 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 $1,146,048.40. This trade represents a 2.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,002,707.19. This represents a 1.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MKSI. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $97,494,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth approximately $85,451,000. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 108.6% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 300,711 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $31,391,000 after purchasing an additional 292,226 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,312,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently 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.