MKS Instruments, Inc. to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.22 (NASDAQ:MKSI)

MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, August 6th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, September 6th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th.

MKS Instruments has increased its dividend payment by an average of 3.2% annually over the last three years. MKS Instruments has a payout ratio of 11.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect MKS Instruments to earn $7.14 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 12.3%.

MKS Instruments Trading Up 2.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI traded up $2.93 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $109.35. The company had a trading volume of 51,433 shares, compared to its average volume of 807,639. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 3.69. MKS Instruments has a 1-year low of $63.44 and a 1-year high of $147.40. The firm has a market cap of $7.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $129.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.74.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $868.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $848.94 million. MKS Instruments had a positive return on equity of 13.90% and a negative net margin of 48.24%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.48 EPS. Research analysts predict that MKS Instruments will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MKSI. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Friday, May 10th. KeyCorp raised their price target on MKS Instruments from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Bank of America assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Monday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $148.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS Instruments

In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total transaction of $30,865.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other MKS Instruments news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 275 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.41, for a total value of $35,587.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 18,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,356,426.69. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 250 shares of MKS Instruments stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.46, for a total value of $30,865.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,533 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,300,404.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

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.