Insider Selling: MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) CAO Sells $366,500.00 in Stock

MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) CAO Michelle Mccarthy sold 1,466 shares of MKS stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $366,500.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

MKS Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $255.91 on Thursday. MKS Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.84 and a 1-year high of $269.91. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market cap of $17.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.56, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.95. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $210.79 and a 200-day moving average of $159.68.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.51 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. MKS had a return on equity of 20.85% and a net margin of 7.53%.MKS’s revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.15 earnings per share. MKS has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.720-2.280 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is a boost from MKS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on MKSI shares. Mizuho set a $320.00 price target on MKS in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Citigroup upped their target price on MKS from $185.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on MKS from $265.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on MKS from $135.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of MKS in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $273.46.

MKS News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages have pushed price targets higher and reiterated buy/overweight views, which supports upside expectations for MKSI. Price Target Raises
• Positive Sentiment: MKS increased its quarterly dividend to $0.25 (from $0.22), signaling confidence in cash flow and returning more capital to shareholders. Dividend & Stock Data
• Positive Sentiment: CEO John T.C. Lee will speak at Morgan Stanley’s Technology/Media/Telecom conference (March 2) — a visibility event that could provide fresh color on demand, margins and the roadmap. Conference Participation
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 was mixed: revenue grew ~10.5% and slightly beat consensus, but EPS missed by ~$0.04 and Q1 EPS guidance (1.720–2.280) leaves room for interpretation on near‑term margins. This supports the growth story but may already be priced in. Earnings Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling reported Feb. 20–24: CEO and several executives/directors sold tens of thousands of shares (CEO sales alone roughly $7–8M), reducing some officers’ holdings materially — a near‑term negative that can pressure sentiment. CEO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Director Gerald G. Colella sold 10,000 shares (~$2.5M–$2.54M across filings), part of the broader wave of open‑market disposals that traders are watching. Colella Sale

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Penserra Capital Management LLC grew its stake in MKS by 43.4% in the 3rd quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 295,963 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $36,631,000 after purchasing an additional 89,502 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of MKS during the 3rd quarter worth $1,020,000. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MKS by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 58,933 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $5,856,000 after buying an additional 6,846 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC grew its position in MKS by 2.3% during the third quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC now owns 304,831 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $37,729,000 after buying an additional 6,725 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in MKS by 553.5% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 7,371 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $912,000 after buying an additional 6,243 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

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.