MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) updated its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 3.270-3.890 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 3.170. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.3 billion-$1.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.2 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen cut MKS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on MKS from $300.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on MKS from $380.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on MKS in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $453.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $383.57.

MKS Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of MKSI traded down $7.66 on Wednesday, hitting $313.10. 2,362,567 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,405,976. The company has a market capitalization of $21.15 billion, a PE ratio of 65.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.98. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $348.82 and a 200 day simple moving average of $288.38. MKS has a one year low of $88.49 and a one year high of $447.62.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.91 by $0.39. MKS had a net margin of 8.06% and a return on equity of 21.49%. The company had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.77 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.3% on a year-over-year basis. MKS has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.890 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that MKS will post 11.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at MKS

In other MKS news, Director Joseph B. Donahue sold 2,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $327.95, for a total value of $688,695.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,290,322.35. The trade was a 17.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Michelle M. Mccarthy sold 2,434 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.23, for a total transaction of $767,269.82. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 2 shares in the company, valued at $630.46. This represents a 99.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 54,406 shares of company stock valued at $17,577,866 over the last three months. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in MKS by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 530 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in MKS by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 4,335 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $693,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its holdings in MKS by 55.2% in the fourth 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 period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in MKS by 26.6% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 533 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of MKS by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 5,196 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $831,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

About MKS

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.