MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.51 by ($0.04), Zacks reports. MKS had a return on equity of 20.80% and a net margin of 7.25%.The firm had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.15 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. MKS updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.720-2.280 EPS.

MKS Trading Up 0.8%

NASDAQ:MKSI opened at $262.94 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 1.81. MKS has a one year low of $54.84 and a one year high of $269.91. The company has a market cap of $17.66 billion, a PE ratio of 63.82, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.95. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $199.49 and a 200-day moving average of $153.44.

MKS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This is an increase from MKS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is 21.36%.

Insider Transactions at MKS

In related news, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.81, for a total value of $47,643.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 18,963 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,011,514.03. This represents a 1.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MKS

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in shares of MKS by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 267,421 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $21,434,000 after acquiring an additional 9,170 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MKS by 63.4% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 838 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in MKS by 3,545.6% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 141,267 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $14,036,000 after purchasing an additional 137,392 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in MKS in the second quarter worth $1,676,000. Finally, AXA S.A. raised its stake in shares of MKS by 22.8% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 29,253 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,907,000 after buying an additional 5,430 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on MKSI. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of MKS from $180.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Mizuho set a $260.00 target price on MKS in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on MKS from $200.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on MKS from $215.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MKS currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $231.50.

Key Headlines Impacting MKS

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue and EPS expanded year-over-year — revenue of ~$1.03B (+~10.5% YoY) and reported EPS improved versus the prior year, showing underlying demand/price leverage. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Management completed debt refinancing and raised the dividend, which reshapes the company’s debt profile and returns more capital to shareholders — a structural positive for yield‑seeking and income investors. MKS Refinancing Article
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street support remains strong — multiple recent buy/overweight ratings and above‑median price targets provide analyst backing that can support the stock going forward. Analyst Coverage/Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Company issued Q1 FY2026 guidance (EPS $1.72–2.28; revenue $1.0B–1.1B). The range overlaps consensus but the midpoint is slightly below some estimates — guidance provides a roadmap but is conservative enough to leave room for analyst revisions. Guidance & Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Share price momentum: stock has been trading near highs/all‑time levels ahead of and after the release, reflecting strong sentiment but also higher expectations that increase sensitivity to misses. All‑Time High Article
• Negative Sentiment: Certain consensus measures were missed — some outlets/consensus figures showed EPS and/or revenue slightly below expectations (different data sources report small variances), which pressured the stock in after‑hours trading for a time. That divergence between reported figures and certain sell‑side models drove short‑term volatility. Earnings Miss Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Cash‑flow and balance‑sheet items showed weaknesses: operating cash flow declined year‑over‑year and cash balances were slightly lower; coupled with recent insider selling disclosed in filings, these items can concern some investors focused on cash conversion and insider alignment. Cash Flow & Insider Activity

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.