MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.91 by $0.39, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. MKS had a net margin of 8.06% and a return on equity of 21.49%. The business’s revenue was up 28.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.77 earnings per share. MKS updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 3.270-3.890 EPS.

MKS Stock Performance

NASDAQ MKSI traded down $7.66 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $313.10. 2,362,567 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,405,976. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 65.50, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.98. MKS has a 12-month low of $88.49 and a 12-month high of $447.62. The business has a 50 day moving average of $348.82 and a 200-day moving average of $288.38.

MKS Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is 20.92%.

MKS News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MKS reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $1.25 billion, up 28.3% year over year and ahead of the $1.20 billion analyst consensus. EPS of $3.30 also exceeded estimates of $2.91, while operating profit reached $251 million and operating cash flow totaled $243 million. MKS Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter guidance was stronger than expected: EPS of $3.27–$3.89 versus consensus of $3.17, and revenue of $1.3–$1.4 billion versus estimates of $1.2 billion. The outlook suggests continued demand for MKS’s semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing technologies.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “Overweight” rating with a $600 target, while the broader analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy” with a target near $383.57.
• Neutral Sentiment: MKS declared its regular quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, payable September 3 to shareholders of record August 25. The annualized yield is modest at roughly 0.3%, so the dividend is unlikely to be a major trading catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning was mixed: 366 investors increased holdings in the latest quarter, while 254 reduced positions. Several large funds made substantial additions, but other major institutions cut their stakes.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider activity is a notable overhang. Quiver reported 40 insider sales and no purchases during the past six months, including sales by the CEO and other senior executives. A recent EVP sale was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which reduces its signaling value but does not eliminate investor concern.
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 65–67 times earnings, MKS trades at a demanding valuation. With shares still well below their 52-week high and above the 50-day average, investors may be taking profits after the strong run and demanding evidence that the elevated growth rate can continue.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on MKS from $300.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $600.00 price target on shares of MKS in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Friday, July 17th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on MKS from $360.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of MKS in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $453.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $383.57.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MKS news, EVP John Edward Williams sold 457 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.31, for a total transaction of $131,757.67. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,098 shares in the company, valued at $1,181,494.38. This represents a 10.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Gerald G. Colella sold 20,000 shares of MKS stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.40, for a total value of $6,668,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 20,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,673,667.80. This trade represents a 49.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 54,406 shares of company stock valued at $17,577,866. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in MKS by 560.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MKS in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in shares of MKS by 55.2% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 256 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of MKS in the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MKS Company Profile

MKS Instruments, Inc (NASDAQ: MKSI) designs, manufactures and markets technology solutions that enable advanced processes in a variety of high‐technology and industrial markets. The company’s core offerings include vacuum and gas delivery systems, pressure and flow measurement instruments, optical metrology tools, photonics subsystems and critical components for manufacturing processes. These products support the precise control and monitoring needs of semiconductor, industrial manufacturing, life and health sciences, and research applications.

The company’s product portfolio features mass flow controllers, pressure transducers, vacuum gauges, gas purity monitors, laser-based metrology systems and photonic devices such as lasers and detectors.