MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Price Target Cut to $145.00 by Analysts at Needham & Company LLC

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its price objective lowered by investment analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $156.00 to $145.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 39.64% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of 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. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on MKS Instruments from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on MKS Instruments in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of MKS Instruments from $143.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.92.

MKS Instruments Stock Performance

NASDAQ MKSI opened at $103.84 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The business’s 50 day moving average is $110.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $110.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 230.76, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.66. MKS Instruments has a 12-month low of $97.54 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.15 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%. Research analysts expect that MKS Instruments will post 6.34 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.80, for a total value of $34,440.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,146,048.40. The trade was a 2.92 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.41, for a total value of $31,187.75. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,002,707.19. The trade was a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Aigen Investment Management LP raised its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 705.3% in the 3rd quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 12,547 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,364,000 after acquiring an additional 10,989 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in MKS Instruments by 7.3% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 444,333 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $48,303,000 after purchasing an additional 30,216 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in MKS Instruments by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,525,037 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $265,874,000 after purchasing an additional 237,979 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of MKS Instruments by 3,444.0% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the third quarter worth about $868,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.