MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Announces $0.22 Quarterly Dividend

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, November 5th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, December 6th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th.

MKS Instruments has increased its dividend payment by an average of 3.2% per year over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a dividend payout ratio of 11.7% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $7.21 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.88 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 12.2%.

MKS Instruments Price Performance

NASDAQ:MKSI traded up $1.67 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $102.61. 138,839 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 819,999. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $106.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $119.10. The company has a quick ratio of 2.31, a current ratio of 3.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The company has a market cap of $6.90 billion, a PE ratio of 917.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.63. MKS Instruments has a 12-month low of $67.42 and a 12-month high of $147.40.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $887.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $866.38 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 0.25%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. On average, analysts expect that MKS Instruments will post 5.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS Instruments news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.90, for a total value of $27,225.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 10,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,119,818.70. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total value of $31,891.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,079,805.98. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 2,325 shares of company stock worth $272,795. 0.51% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on MKSI shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price objective on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup lowered MKS Instruments from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $145.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.09.

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.