Wells Fargo & Company Issues Positive Forecast for MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock Price

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) had its target price raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $135.00 to $150.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price indicates a potential downside of 3.07% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on MKSI. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MKS in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on MKS from $136.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MKS from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 20th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $151.00 price target on shares of MKS in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Finally, Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of MKS from $135.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $154.64.

MKS Stock Down 0.3%

MKSI stock traded down $0.50 during trading on Friday, reaching $154.75. The stock had a trading volume of 1,134,342 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,193,843. MKS has a one year low of $54.84 and a one year high of $157.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The company’s 50 day moving average is $127.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.85. The company has a market capitalization of $10.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 2.00.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. MKS had a net margin of 7.11% and a return on equity of 20.65%. The firm had revenue of $988.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $963.87 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. MKS has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.930-2.610 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that MKS will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at MKS

In other MKS news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.14, for a total transaction of $36,642.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,562 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,412,182.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.85, for a total transaction of $29,955.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 19,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,923,410.55. This represents a 1.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 5,600 shares of company stock worth $716,597. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new stake in MKS during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of MKS by 74.5% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 260 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in MKS during the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Steph & Co. purchased a new stake in MKS during the 2nd quarter worth about $42,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MKS 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.