MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $80.22 and last traded at $80.36, with a volume of 215846 shares. The stock had previously closed at $84.89.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKSI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on MKS Instruments from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Three equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.08.

MKS Instruments Stock Up 1.6 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $105.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $107.77. The firm has a market cap of $5.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 3.19.

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 for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.23. MKS Instruments had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 18.94%. On average, 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. MKS Instruments’s payout ratio is currently 31.43%.

Insider Transactions at MKS Instruments

In related news, Director Gerard G. Colella sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.53, for a total value of $836,240.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 60,017 shares in the company, valued at $6,273,577.01. The trade was a 11.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.46, for a total value of $25,426.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,607,324.64. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Madison Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the 4th quarter worth $97,494,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in MKS Instruments during the fourth quarter worth about $85,451,000. Barclays PLC lifted its position in MKS Instruments by 108.6% in 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 period. Shapiro Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $48,228,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 292,226 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

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.