MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) Coverage Initiated at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set an “overweight” rating and a $145.00 price target on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 28.43% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on MKSI. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Citigroup downgraded MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Mizuho raised MKS Instruments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $141.42.

MKS Instruments Stock Down 0.6 %

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $112.90 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $108.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $117.17. MKS Instruments has a 52-week low of $85.25 and a 52-week high of $147.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a current ratio of 3.42. The company has a market cap of $7.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 250.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.65.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $896.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $874.29 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 0.90%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that MKS Instruments will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,659 shares in the company, valued at $2,002,707.19. This trade represents a 1.53 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 value of $34,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 825 shares of company stock worth $92,853. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS Instruments

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MKSI. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 108.6% in 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 acquiring an additional 530,620 shares in the last quarter. Shellback Capital LP acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,541,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in MKS Instruments by 219.5% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 348,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $45,445,000 after purchasing an additional 239,099 shares during the last quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the third quarter worth approximately $21,690,000. Finally, Mizuho Markets Americas LLC acquired a new stake in MKS Instruments during the second quarter worth approximately $23,171,000. Institutional investors 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.